Active herbal ingredients are gaining recognition for their potent anti-tumor efficacy, attributable to various mechanisms including tumor cell inhibition, immune system activation, and tumor angiogenesis inhibition. Recent studies have revealed that numerous anti-tumor herbal ingredients, such as ginsenosides, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and Angelica sinensis polysaccharides, can be utilized to develop smart drug carriers like liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles. These carriers can deliver active herbal ingredients and co-deliver anti-tumor drugs to enhance drug accumulation at tumor sites, thereby improving anti-tumor efficacy. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms by which these active herbal ingredients-derived carriers enhance therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, it highlights the structural properties of these active herbal ingredients, demonstrating how their unique features can be strategically employed to design smart drug carriers with improved anti-tumor efficacy. The insights presented aim to serve as a reference and guide future innovations in the design and application of smart drug carriers for cancer therapy that leverage active herbal ingredients.
Humans ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Carriers/chemistry* ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage* ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage*

Garcinia, a kind of dry resin secreted by Garcinia hanburyi Hook. F. G., is a traditional Chinese medicine with various biological functions such as detoxification, anti-inflammatory, and anthelmintic activities. Recent studies suggest that garcinia has potential anticancer activity. Increasing evidences indicate that the main active monomer gambogic acid isolated from garcinia can inhibit the growth of various cancer cells. Neogambogic acid is an isolated compound with a similar chemical structure as gambogic acid. Preliminary studies show that the neogambogic acid can selectively inhibit the growth of various cancer cells, and has a broader antitumor activity and lower toxicity than gambogic acid. In this review, we summarize the advances made in the investigation of the anti-tumor effect of neogambogic acid in recent years.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Garcinia ; chemistry ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Xanthenes ; administration & dosage ; chemistry

Tripolinolate A (TLA) is recently identified as a new compound from a halophyte plant Tripolium vulgare and has been shown to have significant in vitro activity against the proliferation of colorectal cancer and glioma cells. This study was designed to further investigate the effects of TLA on the proliferation of human normal cells, and the apoptosis and cell cycle in colorectal cancer cells, and the growth of tumors in the colorectal cancer-bearing animals. The data obtained from this study demonstrated that: 1) TLA had much less cytotoxicity in the human normal cells than the colorectal cancer cells; 2) TLA remarkably induced apoptosis in the human colorectal cancer cells and blocked cell cycle at G/M phase, and 3) TLA had significant anti-colorectal cancer activity in the tumor-bearing animals.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Esters ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; G2 Phase ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phenols ; administration & dosage ; chemistry

The effect of surface charges on the cellular uptake rate and drug release profile of tetrandrine-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (TPNs) was studied. Stabilizer-free nanoprecipitation method was used in this study for the synthesis of TPNs. A typical layer-by-layer approach was applied for multi-coating particles' surface with use of poly(styrene sulfonate) sodium salt (PSS) as anionic layer and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) as cationic layer. The modified TPNs were characterized by different physicochemical techniques such as Zeta sizer, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The drug loading efficiency, release profile and cellular uptake rate were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography and confocal laser scanning microscopy, respectively. The resultant PSS/PAH/PSS/PAH/TPNs (4 layers) exhibited spherical-shaped morphology with the average size of 160.3±5.165 nm and zeta potential of-57.8 mV. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading efficiency were 57.88% and 1.73%, respectively. Multi-layer coating of polymeric materials with different charges on particles' surface could dramatically influence the drug release profile of TPNs (4 layers vs. 3 layers). In addition, variable layers of surface coating could also greatly affect the cellular uptake rate of TPNs in A549 cells within 8 h. Overall, by coating particles' surface with those different charged polymers, precise control of drug release as well as cellular uptake rate can be achieved simultaneously. Thus, this approach provides a new strategy for controllable drug delivery.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Benzylisoquinolines ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Liberation ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Polyamines ; chemistry ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; Polystyrenes ; chemistry ; Static Electricity

Cancer, an abnormal cell proliferation resulted from multi-factors,has the highest morbidity and mortality among all the serious diseases. Considerable progress has been made in cancer biology in recent years. Tumor immunology, cancer stem cells (CSCs), autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have become hot topics of interests in this area. Detailed dissection of these biological processes will provide novel directions, targets, and strategies for the pharmacological evaluation, mechanism elucidation, and new drug development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy of vinorelbine (NVB)-based regimens in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes.

METHODSClinical data of 48 patients diagnosed and treated for mTNBC between 2004 and 2012 at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were pretreated with anthracyclines and at least one taxane in neo-adjuvant, adjuvant or chemotherapy for mTNBC and patients should be having at least one measurable metastatic lesion. Totally, 48 patients were included in this study, of which 21 cases received first-line chemotherapy and 27 cases received second-line chemotherapy. Based on the regimen they received, 22 patients were treated with NVB plus platinum (NP), and 26 patients with NVB plus capecitabine (NX).

RESULTSAfter 70 months follow-up, in the total group of patients, the objective response rate was 20.8%, clinical benefit rate was 43.8%, median progression free survival (PFS) was 4.4 months and median overall survival (OS) was 15.5 months. In addition, the ORR was significantly better in the NP arm versus NX arm (33.8% vs.7.7%, P=0.029) as well as PFS was statistically improved in the NP arm than NX arm (5.3 m vs. 3.0 m, P=0.023). Similar trend was observed in the OS, although the difference was not statistically significant (27.7 m vs. 14.8 m, P=0.077). In all, the most frequently reported adverse events were G1/2 gastrointestinal toxicity (68.8%) and neutropenia (62.5%) . No significant difference was observed between the NP arm and NX arm (P>0.05). The percentage of patients who delayed chemotherapy administration in the NP arm and NX arm was 9.1% (n=2), and 3.8% (n=1), respectively.

CONCLUSIONSNVB-based combination chemotherapy demonstrates moderate efficacy in mTNBC patients pretreated with anthracyclines and one taxane with manageable toxicity. NP regimen shows potential superiority over NX regimen, and should be further verified in randomized phase III clinical trial in larger cohort.

Anthracyclines ; therapeutic use ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Capecitabine ; administration & dosage ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Neutropenia ; chemically induced ; Retrospective Studies ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Vinblastine ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

Three dogs presented with refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT). All patients failed to respond to prednisone, which is considered a mainstay of immunosuppressive therapy. Vincristine-loaded platelets (VLPs), which act selectively on mononuclear phagocytes,were introduced. After the VLPs were transfused, two dogs responded quickly withimproved clinical signs while the third dogwith recurrent IMT was euthanized due to its deteriorating condition. This case report describesthe efficacy of VLP therapy in refractory IMT patients.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Dog Diseases/*therapy ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Platelet Transfusion/methods/*veterinary ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/therapy/*veterinary ; Vincristine/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use

Many phytochemicals show promise in cancer prevention and treatment, but their low aqueous solubility, poor stability, unfavorable bioavailability, and low target specificity make administering them at therapeutic doses unrealistic. This is particularly true for (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, and genistein. There is an increasing interest in developing novel delivery strategies for these natural products. Liposomes, micelles, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles are biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles. Those nanoparticles can increase the stability and solubility of phytochemicals, exhibit a sustained release property, enhance their absorption and bioavailability, protect them from premature enzymatic degradation or metabolism, prolong their circulation time, improve their target specificity to cancer cells or tumors via passive or targeted delivery, lower toxicity or side-effects to normal cells or tissues through preventing them from prematurely interacting with the biological environment, and enhance anti-cancer activities. Nanotechnology opens a door for developing phytochemical-loaded nanoparticles for prevention and treatment of cancer.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Drug Carriers ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Phytochemicals ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use

Risk monitoring of new Chinese patent anti-hepatoma drugs is tracking recognized risks and residual risks, identifying emerging risk and ensure the implementation of the plan, estimating the process of reducing effectiveness. The paper is mainly through understanding the status of Chinese patent anti-hepatoma drugs, the content, characteristic and analysis method of dynamic risk monitoring, and then select the risk control indicators, collect risk information. Finally, puts forward the thought of anti-hepatoma drugs listed evaluation in our country, and try to establish the model of dynamic risk management of anti-hepatoma drugs.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; adverse effects ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; Drug Discovery ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; organization & administration ; Drug and Narcotic Control ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; organization & administration ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing

The paper reported an investigation of the pharmacokinetics of SN-38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin) in rats and the tissue distribution in mice after injection of irinotecan hydrochloride nanoparticles (CPT-11) via tail veins. An LC-MS/MS method was established to determine the concentrations of SN-38 in whole blood of rats and in different tissues of mice. The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of SN-38 were compared after the intravenous injection of CPT-11 NPs and CPT-11 solution. Compared with irinotecan solution, the elimination half-life of SN-38 was prolonged from 2.17 h to 2.67 h after the intravenous injection of CPT-11 NPs, but its AUC had little change. After the injection of CPT-11 NPs in mice, over time, the concentrations of CPT-11-metabolized SN-38 in CPT-11 NPs were significantly higher in the whole blood, colon and lungs than those in CPT-11 solution, followed by in the spleen and liver, but those in the heart and brain had no change. However, the amount of SN-38 in the kidneys was reduced with time. CPT-11 NPs could prolong SN-38's (one of its metabolites) blood circulation time in rats and significantly increased the concentration of CPT-11-metabolized SN-38 in the whole blood, colon and lungs of mice. CPT-11 NPs made SN-38 efficiently target-bind to the colon and lungs of mice.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacokinetics ; Camptothecin ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Colon ; metabolism ; Half-Life ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lung ; metabolism ; Mice ; Nanoparticles ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Tissue Distribution