AUTHOR=Li Jia-jun , Yan Yan-yan , Sun Hong-mei , Liu Yun , Su Chao-yue , Chen Hu-biao , Zhang Jian-ye 

TITLE=Anti-Cancer Effects of Pristimerin and the Mechanisms: A Critical Review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.00746

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2019.00746

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>As a quinonemethide triterpenoid extracted from species of the <italic>Celastraceae</italic> and <italic>Hippocrateaceae</italic>, pristimerin has been shown potent anti-cancer effects. Specifically, it was found that pristimerin can affect many tumor-related processes, such as apoptosis, autophagy, migration and invasion, vasculogenesis, and drug resistance. Various molecular targets or signaling pathways are also involved, such as cyclins, reactive oxygen species (ROS), microRNA, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. In this review, we will focus on the research about pristimerin-induced anti-cancer activities to achieve a deeper understanding of the targets and mechanisms, which offer evidences suggesting that pristimerin can be a potent anti-cancer drug.</p>