There is a rising recurrence of cancers in humans and related complications of chemotherapeutic agents that reduce the clinical potency of numerous anticancer agents, including those which are currently in use. Hence, there is a consistent need for the development of alternative or synergistic anticancer drugs with lower side complications. One imperative approach to develop novel anticancer agents with potent efficiency is to discover natural resource-derived bioactive compounds. Diverse phytochemical constituents (like vincristine, vinblastine, taxol analogs etc.) derived from plants have been manifested as effective therapeutics in the treatment, prevention and management of cancer. Therefore, phytochemical constituents aid as prime source and candidates for the discovery of anticancer drugs, particularly when they are screened against their molecular targets via various approaches. Plants are predicted to have innumerable functional phytochemical constituents with potent features, which can be explored via in silico, in vitro as well as in vivo approaches for targeted cancer therapy and the most suitable cascade can be identified. Therefore, this research topic aims to cover the current trends and advancements in phytotherapies with an emphasis on targeted strategies in cancer precision medicine.
Existing therapeutic approaches to treat cancer in humans are invasive and often exhibit long-lasting side effects. Furthermore, there are a limited number of treatments available to treat different types of cancers, which represents a major challenge for cancer drug discovery. It is therefore necessary to develop new anticancer drugs. Both traditional and modern medicine rely on medicinal plants, which are present in a large proportion of present-day pharmaceutical agents, as they possess a huge chemodiversity of secondary metabolites. Through advancements in molecular biology research and the development of sequencing technologies, medicinal plant research has grown significantly. Improving fundamental understanding of the mechanisms underlying the cascade of cancer progression is of key importance towards transforming the landscape of cancer research and developing new and improved treatments of numerous cancerous cell types. In this Research Topic, we invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that provide insight into the current trends and advancements in the development, properties, and mechanisms of less-invasive/non-invasive plant-based cancer therapeutics bearing minimal side effects and strategies targeting various types of human cancers.
The sub-themes of this Research Topic include, but are not limited to the following:
• Plant-derived novel biomolecules for targeted therapy: insights and strategies for the treatment of various cancers.
• Phytochemical characterization of the tested extracts with chromatographic/mass techniques or in depth analysis with therapeutic potential of single biomolecule as an active/potent anticancer agent from plants.
• Detailed mechanistic studies on the anticancer activity of plant-sourced potent compounds.
• Nutraceuticals, functional foods from plant origin as anticancer agents.
• In silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches for the discovery and development of potent natural plant-based inhibitors for cancer therapeutics targeting significant signaling pathways, transcription factors and varied cellular activities involved in cancer progression.
• Integrative approach of targeted molecular drug discovery, design and development of complementary and alternative medicines/treatments against cancer.
Please note, all submissions using plant extracts or preparations must also adhere to the Four Pillars of Ethnopharmacology (information found
here) to be considered for peer review, regardless of the specialty section they are submitted to. Submissions relating to in silico studies should be submitted to the Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs specialty section. For in silico studies, a minimal amount of experimental data (wet studies) is needed to support and validate the conclusions.