Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Active Components Treat Pancreatic Cancer via Regulation of Programmed Cell Death： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20260838
- VernacularTitle:中药及其活性成分调控程序性细胞死亡干预胰腺癌的研究进展
- Author:
Wenna XIAO
1
;
Hanqian SHI
2
;
Xinqiu CHEN
1
;
Xilin ZHAO
2
;
Shuwei LIU
1
;
Xiaoyu ZHU
1
;
Junhai HUANG
2
;
Chong ZHONG
1
Author Information
1. The First School of Clinical Medicine， Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine， Guangzhou 510405，China
2. The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine， Guangzhou 510405，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
pancreatic cancer;
programmed cell death;
traditional Chinese medicine;
molecular mechanisms;
research progress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(22):277-288
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Pancreatic cancer （PC）， a highly malignant tumor of the digestive system， is characterized by extremely high incidence and mortality rates， imposing a severe burden on the healthcare system. Despite significant advancements in comprehensive therapeutic strategies for PC， clinical benefits for patients remain limited due to the high heterogeneity and unique microenvironment of the tumor. Therefore， further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying PC progression and developing novel， effective therapeutic strategies have become an urgent necessity in the current research. Programmed cell death （PCD） is a genetically orchestrated process of autonomous cell demise that is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Recent studies have demonstrated that tumor cells can remodel the tumor microenvironment by modulating various PCD pathways—including apoptosis， autophagy， pyroptosis， and ferroptosis—thereby driving tumor proliferation， invasion， and drug resistance. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） possesses unique advantages in anti-tumor therapy， characterized by multi-component， multi-target， and multi-pathway regulation. Accumulating evidence suggests that TCM formulas and their natural active compounds can effectively delay the malignant progression of PC by modulating PCD in tumor cells. This article systematically summarizes the molecular mechanisms of PCD in PC progression and reviews the mechanisms by which TCM formulas and natural active compounds intervene in PC through PCD modulation. This review aims to provide theoretical support and future research directions for the prevention and treatment of PC with TCM.
