Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Colorectal Cancer by Regulating Hedgehog Signaling Pathway： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20251822
- VernacularTitle:中药调控Hedgehog信号通路治疗结直肠癌研究进展
- Author:
Conghui ZHAO
1
;
Hui ZHAO
1
;
Shuaike YU
1
;
Miaoxin JIN
1
;
Jinyi YANG
1
;
Mingsan MIAO
1
;
Li BAI
1
Author Information
1. Henan University of Chinese Medicine，Zhengzhou 450046，China
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
colorectal cancer;
Hedgehog signaling pathway;
active ingredients of Chinese medicine;
Chinese herbal compound prescription;
research progress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(22):255-264
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Colorectal cancer （CRC）， as a highly prevalent malignant tumor worldwide， continues to rank among the leading malignancies in both incidence and mortality. At present， the clinical treatment of CRC mainly relies on surgery， radiotherapy， chemotherapy， and drug therapy. However， due to individual differences among patients and the emergence of drug resistance in cancer cells， the postoperative recurrence rate remains high， significantly affecting patient prognosis. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has attracted extensive attention in the field of tumor prevention and treatment because of its therapeutic advantages of multi-component， multi-target， multi-pathway， and holistic regulation. Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway is closely associated with the occurrence of various cancers. Studies have shown that the Hedgehog signaling pathway plays a key regulatory role in the occurrence and development of CRC. This pathway regulates the expression of downstream target genes through glioma-associated oncogene homolog （GLI） transcription factors and participates in biological processes such as tumor cell proliferation， apoptosis， invasion， and metastasis. It exerts anti- CRC effects through mechanisms including inducing apoptosis of CRC cells， inhibiting cancer cell proliferation， reversing drug resistance， and suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）， thereby influencing the progression of CRC. This article systematically reviews the latest research progress in China and abroad and comprehensively discusses the molecular regulatory mechanisms of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in CRC. It particularly focuses on the specific mechanisms by which active components of Chinese medicine， such as alkaloids and terpenoids， and Chinese medicine compound formulas， such as Baitouwengtang and Zhizhenfang， exert anti-CRC effects by interfering with the Hedgehog-GLI signaling axis. By integrating and analyzing the molecular relationship between the Hedgehog signaling pathway and the pathological progression of CRC， and combining the TCM theories of "holistic concept" and "syndrome differentiation and treatment"， this article explores new TCM therapeutic strategies based on the Hedgehog signaling pathway， with the aim of providing innovative theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the prevention and treatment of CRC with TCM.
