The anti-leukemia activity and mechanisms of shikonin: a mini review

Abstract

Leukemia encompasses a group of highly heterogeneous diseases that pose a serious threat to human health. The long-term outcome of patients with leukemia still needs to be improved and new effective therapeutic strategies continue to be an unmet clinical need. Shikonin (SHK) is a naphthoquinone derivative that shows multiple biological function includes anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects. Numerous studies have reported the anti-leukemia activity of SHK during the last 3 decades and there are studies showing that SHK is particularly effective towards various leukemia cells compared to solid tumors. In this review, we will discuss the anti-leukemia effect of SHK and summarize the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, SHK may be a promising agent to be developed as an anti-leukemia drug.

Research progress in mechanism of anticancer action of shikonin targeting reactive oxygen species

“…The therapeutic potential of Shikonin against a range of systemic malignancies has been thoroughly investigated, encompassing lung cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer ( Tang et al, 2018 ; Guo et al, 2019b ; Ji et al, 2022 ; Li et al, 2022 ; Xu et al, 2022 ; Dong et al, 2023 ; Király et al, 2023 ; Qian et al, 2023 ; Zhang et al, 2023 ). Shikonin is rich in various chemical constituents, including naphthoquinones, flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenes, and polysaccharides.…”