Herbal management of hepatocellular carcinoma through cutting the pathways of the common risk factors

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered the most frequent tumor that associated with high mortality rate. Several risk factors contribute to the pathogenesis of HCC, such as chronic persistent infection with hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus, chronic untreated inflammation of liver with different etiology, oxidative stress and fatty liver disease. Several treatment protocols are used in the treatment of HCC but they also associated with diverse side effects. Many natural products are helpful in the co-treatment and prevention of HCC. Several mechanisms are involved in the action of these herbal products and their bioactive compounds in the prevention and co-treatment of HCC. They can inhibit the liver cancer development and progression in several ways as protecting against liver carcinogens, enhancing effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, inhibiting tumor cell growth and metastasis, and suppression of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the utility of diverse natural products in the prevention and co-treatment of HCC, through its capturing of the common risk factors known to lead to HCC and shed the light on their possible mechanisms of action. Our theory assumes that shutting down the risk factor to cancer development pathways is a critical strategy in cancer prevention and management. We recommend the use of these plants side by side to recent chemical medications and after stopping these chemicals, as a maintenance therapy to avoid HCC progression and decrease its global incidence.

Induction of Apoptosis by Coptisine in Hep3B Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through Activation of the ROS-Mediated JNK Signaling Pathway

“…Over recent decades, natural plant products, including medicinal herbs and phytochemicals, have been reported to have many advantages, due to their cost effectiveness, few adverse effects, and higher safety, and they have been used as potent therapeutic and chemopreventive agents for various chronic diseases [10,11]. Accumulated evidence suggests that several natural plant products can inhibit the progression of liver cancer through eliminating the known leading risk factors for HCC [7,10,11]. Coptisine is a type of isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Rhizoma coptidis (roots of Coptis chinensis Franch) [12,13], and its pharmacological properties against inflammation [14], bacterial infection [15], and metabolic diseases [16,17] are well established.…”

“…For this reason, the concept of “early cancer”, which has been successfully applied to other malignancies, such as gastric cancer, has not yet been proven for HCC [ 5 ]. In addition, there are several treatment options used in the cure of HCC, such as surgical ablation and chemotherapy, but these are limited due to their side effects, complexities, and resistance to the available chemotherapy [ 6 , 7 ]. Therefore, at present, the most effective strategy for reducing mortality due to HCC is prevention, and it is considered that alternative therapies are needed to improve survival and quality of life [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Autophagy: A Potential Therapeutic Target of Polyphenols in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…Gaertn., contains silibinin, which consists of a mixture of two flavonolignans called silybin A and silybin B. It has various therapeutic effects, such as antioxidant, anticancer, immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antifibrotic, in different tissues and organs [149]. Numerous studies stated that silymarin has anti-HCC potential without affecting the non-tumor hepatic cells [150].…”

Role of microRNA and Long Non-Coding RNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…Of all the liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) contributes to about 70-80% of its share and is found to be the leading cause of cancer mortality in the Asia-Pacific region during the past decade. Risk factors that contribute directly or indirectly in hepatotumorigenesis include alcoholism, aflatoxin B1, diabetes, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, iron accumulation, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and obesity [ 1 ], as represented in Fig. ( 1 ) .…”