Interventional Effect of Active Ingredients of Chinese Medicine and Compound Formulas on Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in Lung Cancer： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20251028
- VernacularTitle:中药活性成分及复方对肺癌上皮间质转化干预作用的研究进展
- Author:
Shanshan SONG
1
;
Min JIANG
1
;
Xinxin LIU
1
;
Bozhen HUANG
1
;
Siyi MA
1
;
Guoyu WANG
1
;
Wanqing WANG
1
;
Luyao WANG
1
;
Liang WANG
1
;
Ruiqing BO
1
Author Information
1. Beijing Shijitan Hospital， Capital Medical University， Beijing 100038，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
lung cancer;
epithelial-mesenchymal transition;
Chinese medicine;
mechanism;
research progress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(6):336-346
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide， and tumor metastasis is a key factor contributing to the mortality of most lung cancer patients. Aberrant activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） is a major driver of lung cancer progression and metastasis. EMT is characterized by the loss of apical-basal polarity and intercellular adhesion in highly differentiated， polarized， and organized epithelial cells， which acquire motility， migratory potential， and invasive properties. During this process， cells undergo cytoskeletal remodeling and transform into a mesenchymal phenotype， accompanied by associated changes in cellular markers. The EMT process is highly complex and is tightly regulated by intricate networks involving multiple transcription factors， post-translational controls， epigenetic modifications， and non-coding RNAs. Therefore， therapies targeting the mechanisms of malignant transformation and their associated pathways in lung cancer are of significant clinical importance. In recent years， EMT has attracted increasing attention as a potential target for cancer therapy. Chinese medicine， with its characteristics of multi-target action， low side effects， and good therapeutic efficacy， has demonstrated an important role in anticancer treatment. A series of studies have investigated the role of Chinese medicine in inhibiting EMT in lung cancer. Active ingredients of Chinese medicine， including flavonoids， glycosides， phenols， terpenoids， saccharides， and alkaloids， as well as Chinese medicine compound formulas， have shown significant regulatory effects on EMT. Their mechanisms mainly involve multiple pathways， targets， and links， including signaling pathways， exosomes， microRNAs （miRNAs）， and the tumor-associated immune microenvironment. This article summarizes the mechanisms by which EMT promotes malignant tumor progression and reviews the current research on how Chinese medicine active ingredients， monomers， and compound formulas inhibit EMT and suppress lung cancer cell migration and invasion. This study is expected to provide comprehensive theoretical information for basic and translational research on lung cancer.
