Greasing the Wheels of Pharmacotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: the Role of Natural Polyphenols
Department
Internal Medicine
Additional Department
Gastroenterology
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Current Nutrition Reports
Abstract
Purpose of review: The main purpose of this review, mainly based on preclinical studies, is to summarize the pharmacological and biochemical evidence regarding natural polyphenols against colorectal cancer and highlight areas that require future research.
Recent findings: Typically, colorectal cancer is a potentially preventable and curable cancer arising from benign precancerous polyps found in the colon's inner lining. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, with a lifetime risk of approximately 4 to 5%. Genetic background and environmental factors play major roles in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Theoretically, a multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis provides enough time for anti-tumor pharmacotherapy of colorectal cancer. Chronic colonic inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota imbalance have been found to increase the risk for colorectal cancer development by creating genotoxic stress within the intestinal environment to generate genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications. Currently, numerous natural polyphenols have shown anti-tumor properties against colorectal cancer in preclinical research, especially in colorectal cancer cell lines. In this review, the current literature regarding the etiology and epidemiology of colorectal cancer is briefly outlined. We highlight the findings of natural polyphenols in colorectal cancer from in vitro and in vivo studies. The scarcity of human trials data undermines the clinical use of natural polyphenols as anti-colorectal cancer agents, which should be undertaken in the future.
First Page
662
Last Page
678
DOI
10.1007/s13668-023-00512-w
Volume
12
Issue
4
Publication Date
12-1-2023
Medical Subject Headings
Humans; Colorectal Neoplasms (prevention & control, drug therapy, genetics); Polyphenols (pharmacology); Epigenesis, Genetic
PubMed ID
38041707
Recommended Citation
Niu, C., Zhang, J., & Okolo, P. (2023). Greasing the Wheels of Pharmacotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: the Role of Natural Polyphenols. Current Nutrition Reports, 12 (4), 662-678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-023-00512-w