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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1483160

DNA damage caused by chemotherapy has duality, and traditional Chinese medicine may be a better choice to reduce its toxicity

Provisionally accepted
Bufan Bai Bufan Bai Yingrui Ma Yingrui Ma Deng Liu Deng Liu Yifei Zhang Yifei Zhang Weihong Zhang Weihong Zhang Rong Shi Rong Shi Qianmei Zhou Qianmei Zhou *
  • Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background：DNA damage induced by chemotherapy has duality. It affects the efficacy of chemotherapy and constrains its application. An increasing number of studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is highly effective in reducing side-effects induced by chemotherapy due to its natural, non-toxic and many sourced from food. Recent advancements have demonstrated survival rates are improved attributable to effective chemotherapy. DNA damage is the principal mechanism underlying chemotherapy. However, not all instances of DNA damage are beneficial. Chemotherapy induces DNA damage in normal cells, leading to side effects. It affects the efficacy of chemotherapy and constrains its application. Objectives: This review aims to summarize the dual nature of DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and explore how TCM can mitigate chemotherapy-induced side effects. Results: The review summarized the latest research progress in DNA damage caused by chemotherapy and the effect of alleviating side effects by TCM. It focused on advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy, the mechanism of drugs and providing insights for rational and effective clinical treatment and serving as a basis for experiment. In this review, we described the mechanisms of DNA damage, associated chemotherapeutics, and their toxicity. Furthermore, we explored Chinese herb that can alleviate chemotherapy-induced side-effects. Conclusions: We highlight key mechanisms of DNA damage caused by chemotherapeutics and discuss specific TCM herbs that have shown potential in reducing these side effects. It can provide reference for clinical and basic research.

    Keywords: DNA Damage, chemotherapy, cancer treatment, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Side-effects

    Received: 19 Aug 2024; Accepted: 14 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Bai, Ma, Liu, Zhang, Zhang, Shi and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Qianmei Zhou, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.