Triple negative breast cancer migration is modified by mitochondrial metabolism alteration induced by natural extracts of C. spinosa and P. alliacea.

Tumor metabolism is a crucial aspect of cancer development, and mitochondria plays a significant role in the aggressiveness and metastasis of tumors. As a result, mitochondria have become a promising therapeutic target in cancer treatment, leading to the development of compounds known as mitocans. In our group, we have consolidated the search of anticancer therapies based on natural products derived from plants, obtaining extracts such as P2Et from Caesalpinia spinosa and Anamu-SC from Petiveria alliacea, which have been shown to have antitumor activities in different cancer models. These extracts, due to their complex molecular composition, can interfere with multiple functions during tumor progression. To better understand how these natural products operate (P2Et and Anamu-SC), we constructed a model using 4T1 murine breast cancer cells with reduced expression of genes associated with glycolysis (Hexokinase-2) and mitochondrial function (Cqbp). The results indicate that the cells were more sensitive to the Anamu-SC extract, showing significant decreases in glucose consumption, ATP production, and oxygen consumption rate. Additionally, we observed changes in mitochondrial function, which reduced the cells' ability to migrate, particularly when C1qbp was silenced. This triple-negative breast cancer model allows us to identify potential natural products that can modulate tumor cell metabolism.

Plant extracts modulate cellular stress to inhibit replication of mouse Coronavirus MHV-A59.

The Covid-19 infection outbreak led to a global epidemic, and although several vaccines have been developed, the appearance of mutations has allowed the virus to evade the immune response. Added to this is the existing risk of the appearance of new emerging viruses. Therefore, it is necessary to explore novel antiviral therapies. Here, we investigate the potential in vitro of plant extracts to modulate cellular stress and inhibit murine hepatitis virus (MHV)-A59 replication. L929 cells were treated with P2Et (Caesalpinia spinosa) and Anamu SC (Petiveria alliacea) plant extracts during infection and virus production, ROS (reactive oxygen species), UPR (unfolded protein response), and autophagy were assessed. P2Et inhibited virus replication and attenuated both ROS production and UPR activation induced during infection. In contrast, the sustained presence of Anamu SC during viral adsorption and replication was required to inhibit viral infection, tending to induce pro-oxidant effects, and increasing UPR gene expression. Notably, the loss of the PERK protein resulted in a slight decrease in virus yield, suggesting a potential involvement of this UPR pathway during replication. Intriguingly, both extracts either maintained or increased the calreticulin surface exposure induced during infection. In conclusion, our findings highlight the development of antiviral natural plant extracts that differentially modulate cellular stress.

Piper nigrum extract suppresses tumor growth and enhances the antitumor immune response in murine models of breast cancer and melanoma.

Although the antitumor effect of P. nigrum has been widely studied, research related to its possible immunomodulatory effects is relatively scarce. Here, the antitumor and immunomodulatory activity of an ethanolic extract of P. nigrum were evaluated in the murine models of 4T1 breast cancer and B16-F10 melanoma. In vitro evaluations showed that the P. nigrum extract has cytotoxic activity, induces apoptotic cell death, and has a pro-oxidant effect in both cell lines, but it regulates glucose uptake differently in both lines, decreasing it in 4T1 but not in B16-F10. P. nigrum extract significantly reduced tumor size in both models and decreased the occurrence of macrometastases in 4T1 model. Evaluation of immune subpopulations by flow cytometry revealed that the P. nigrum extract significantly increases the frequency of dendritic cells and activated CD8+ T cells and decreases the frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor like cells and Tregs in the tumor microenvironment of both models but with different dynamics. Our findings strongly suggest that the P. nigrum extract exerts immunomodulatory functions, slightly related to the modulation of cellular energy metabolism, which could ultimately contribute to the promising antitumor effect of P. nigrum.

Modulation of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment by Natural Products.

During carcinogenesis, the microenvironment plays a fundamental role in tumor progression and resistance. This tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by being highly immunosuppressive in most cases, which makes it an important target for the development of new therapies. One of the most important groups of cells that orchestrate immunosuppression in TME is myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which have multiple mechanisms to suppress the immune response mediated by T lymphocytes and thus protect the tumor. In this review, we will discuss the importance of modulating MDSCs as a therapeutic target and how the use of natural products, due to their multiple mechanisms of action, can be a key alternative for modulating these cells and thus improve response to therapy in cancer patients.

Doxorubicin Activity Is Modulated by Traditional Herbal Extracts in a 2D and 3D Multicellular Sphere Model of Leukemia.

The modulation of the tumor microenvironment by natural products may play a significant role in the response of tumor cells to chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the effect of extracts derived from P2Et (Caesalpinia spinosa) and Anamú-SC (Petiveria alliacea) plants, previously studied by our group, on the viability and ROS levels in the K562 cell line (Pgp- and Pgp+), endothelial cells (ECs, Eahy.926 cell line) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) cultured in 2D and 3D. The results show that: (a) the two botanical extracts are selective on tumor cells compared to doxorubicin (DX), (b) cytotoxicity is independent of the modulation of intracellular ROS for plant extracts, unlike DX, (c) the interaction with DX can be influenced by chemical complexity and the expression of Pgp, (d) the 3D culture shows a greater sensitivity of the tumor cells to chemotherapy, in co-treatment with the extracts. In conclusion, the effect of the extracts on the viability of leukemia cells was modified in multicellular spheroids with MSC and EC, suggesting that the in vitro evaluation of these interactions can contribute to the comprehension of the pharmacodynamics of the botanical drugs.

Impact of Acute High Glucose on Mitochondrial Function in a Model of Endothelial Cells: Role of PDGF-C.

An increase in plasma high glucose promotes endothelial dysfunction mainly through increasing mitochondrial ROS production. High glucose ROS-induced has been implicated in the fragmentation of the mitochondrial network, mainly by an unbalance expression of mitochondrial fusion and fission proteins. Mitochondrial dynamics alterations affect cellular bioenergetics. Here, we assessed the effect of PDGF-C on mitochondrial dynamics and glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism in a model of endothelial dysfunction induced by high glucose. High glucose induced a fragmented mitochondrial phenotype associated with the reduced expression of OPA1 protein, high DRP1pSer616 levels and reduced basal respiration, maximal respiration, spare respiratory capacity, non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption and ATP production, regarding normal glucose. In these conditions, PDGF-C significantly increased the expression of OPA1 fusion protein, diminished DRP1pSer616 levels and restored the mitochondrial network. On mitochondrial function, PDGF-C increased the non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption diminished by high glucose conditions. These results suggest that PDGF-C modulates the damage induced by HG on the mitochondrial network and morphology of human aortic endothelial cells; additionally, it compensates for the alteration in the energetic phenotype induced by HG.

Plant extract from Caesalpinia spinosa inhibits cancer-associated fibroblast-like cells generation and function in a tumor microenvironment model.

Interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) between tumor cells and stromal cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) favor increased survival, progression, and transformation of cancer cells by activating mechanisms of invasion and metastasis. The design of new therapies to modulate or eliminate the CAF phenotype or functionality has been the subject of recent research including natural product-based therapies. We have previously described the generation of a standardized extract rich in polyphenols obtained from the Caesalpinia spinosa plant (P2Et), which present antitumor activities in breast cancer and melanoma models through activities that modulate the metabolism of tumor cells or induce the development of the immune response. In this work, a model of CAF generation was initially developed from the exposure of 3T3 fibroblasts to the cytokine TGFß1. CAF-like cells generated in this way exhibited changes in the expression of Caveolin-1 and α-SMA, and alterations in glucose metabolism and redox status, typical of CAFs isolated from tumor tissues. Then, P2Et was shown to counteract in vitro-induced CAF-like cell generation, preventing caveolin-1 loss and attenuating changes in glucose uptake and redox profile. This protective effect of P2Et translates into a decrease in the functional ability of CAFs to support colony formation and migration of 4T1 murine breast cancer tumor cells. In addition to the functional interference, the P2Et extract also decreased the expression of genes associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and functional activities related to the modulation of the cancer stem cells (CSC) population. This work is an in vitro approach to evaluate natural extracts' effect on the interaction between CAF and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment; thus, these results open the chance to design a more profound and mechanistic analysis to explore the molecular mechanisms of P2Et multimolecular activity and extent this analysis to an in vivo perspective. In summary, we present here a standardized polymolecular natural extract that has the potential to act in the TME by interfering with CAF generation and functionality.

Postbiotic Activities of Bifidobacterium adolescentis: Impacts on Viability, Structural Integrity, and Cell Death Markers in Human Intestinal C2BBe1 Cells.

Acute diarrheal disease (ADD) caused by rotavirus (RV) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age. Currently, there are no specific drugs for the treatment of RV infections. Previously, we reported the anti-rotaviral activity of the protein metabolites derived from Bifidobacterium adolescentis. In this study, our aim was to assess the impact of B. adolescentis-secreted proteins (BaSP), with anti-rotaviral activity on the human intestinal C2BBe1 cell line. We initiated the production of BaSP and subsequently confirmed its anti-rotaviral activity by counting the infectious foci using immunocytochemistry. We then exposed the C2BBe1 cells to various concentrations of BaSP (≤250 µg/mL) for 72 h. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, cell monolayer integrity was monitored through transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), and cytoskeleton architecture and tight junctions (TJs) were examined using confocal microscopy with F-actin and occludin staining. Finally, we utilized a commercial kit to detect markers of apoptosis and necrosis after 24 h of treatment. The results demonstrated that BaSP does not have adverse effects on C2BBe1 cells. These findings confirm that BaSP inhibits rotavirus infectivity and has the potential to strengthen intestinal defense against viral and bacterial infections via the paracellular route.

Regulatory Role of the RUNX2 Transcription Factor in Lung Cancer Apoptosis.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally. Numerous factors intervene in the onset and progression of lung tumors, among which the participation of lineage-specific transcription factors stands out. Several transcription factors important in embryonic development are abnormally expressed in adult tissues and thus participate in the activation of signaling pathways related to the acquisition of the tumor phenotype. RUNX2 is the transcription factor responsible for osteogenic differentiation in mammals. Current studies have confirmed that RUNX2 is closely related to the proliferation, invasion, and bone metastasis of multiple cancer types, such as osteosarcoma, breast cancer (BC), prostate cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer. Thus, the present study is aimed at evaluating the role of the RUNX2 transcription factor in inhibiting the apoptosis process. Loss-of-function assays using sh-RNA from lentiviral particles and coupled with Annexin/propidium iodide (PI) assays (flow cytometry), immunofluorescence, and quantitative PCR analysis of genes related to cell apoptosis (BAD, BAX, BCL2, BCL-XL, and MCL1) were performed. Silencing assays and Annexin/PI assays demonstrated that when RUNX2 was absent, the percentage of dead cells increased, and the expression levels of the BCL2, BCL-XL, and MCL1 genes were downregulated. Furthermore, to confirm whether the regulatory role of RUNX2 in the expression of these genes is related to its binding to the promoter region, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Here, we report that overexpression of the RUNX2 gene in lung cancer may be related to the inhibition of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, specifically, through direct transcriptional regulation of the antiapoptotic gene BCL2 and indirect regulation of BCL-XL and MCL1.

Tillandsia usneoides Extract Decreases the Primary Tumor in a Murine Breast Cancer Model but Not in Melanoma.

The main limits of current antitumor therapies are chemoresistance, relapses, and toxicity that impair patient quality of life. Therefore, the discovery of therapeutic alternatives, such as adjuvants to conventional therapy that modulate the intracellular oxidation state or the immune response, remains a challenge. Owing to traditional medicine, several uses of plants are known, indicating a promising antitumor and immunomodulatory effect. We evaluated the effect of ethanolic extract of T. usneoides in vitro and in vivo in models of 4T1 breast cancer and B16-F10 melanoma. In vitro evaluations with both cell lines showed that the extract has cytotoxic activity and induces apoptotic cell death. However, its effect on ROS production and glucose uptake was opposite. In vivo, only in the 4T1 model, a significant decrease in tumor size was found in animals treated with the extract, accompanied by an increase in dendritic cells and activated CD8+ T cells, and a decrease in myeloid-derived suppressor-like cells (MDSC-LC) and Tregs in the tumor microenvironment. These results suggest that T. usneoides extract antagonistically regulates tumor metabolism of 4T1 vs. B16-F10, impacting the tumor microenvironment and effective antitumor immune response, leading to a reduction in 4T1 tumor size but not on B16-F10.

Randomized double-blind clinical study in patients with COVID-19 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a phytomedicine (P2Et).

Background: It has been proposed that polyphenols can be used in the development of new therapies against COVID-19, given their ability to interfere with the adsorption and entrance processes of the virus, thus disrupting viral replication. Seeds from Caesalpinia spinosa, have been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies and respiratory diseases. Our team has obtained an extract called P2Et, rich in polyphenols derived from gallic acid with significant antioxidant activity, and the ability to induce complete autophagy in tumor cells and reduce the systemic inflammatory response in animal models. Methods: In this work, a phase II multicenter randomized double-blind clinical trial on COVID-19 patients was designed to evaluate the impact of the P2Et treatment on the clinical outcome and the immunological parameters related to the evolution of the disease. The Trial was registered with the number No. NCT04410510*. A complementary study in an animal model of lung fibrosis was carried out to evaluate in situ lung changes after P2Et in vivo administration. The ability of P2Et to inhibit the viral load of murine and human coronaviruses in cellular models was also evaluated. Results: Patients treated with P2Et were discharged on average after 7.4 days of admission vs. 9.6 days in the placebo group. Although a decrease in proinflammatory cytokines such as G-CSF, IL-15, IL-12, IL-6, IP10, MCP-1, MCP-2 and IL-18 was observed in both groups, P2Et decreased to a greater extent G-CSF, IL-6 and IL-18 among others, which are related to lower recovery of patients in the long term. The frequency of T lymphocytes (LT) CD3+, LT double negative (CD3+CD4-CD8-), NK cells increased in the P2Et group where the population of eosinophils was also significantly reduced. In the murine bleomycin model, P2Et also reduced lung inflammation and fibrosis. P2Et was able to reduce the viral replication of murine and human coronaviruses in vitro, showing its dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory role, key in disease control. Conclusions: Taken together these results suggest that P2Et could be consider as a good co-adjuvant in the treatment of COVID-19. Clinical trail registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04410510, identifier: NCT04410510.

The breast cancer immune microenvironment is modified by neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAT) in breast cancer (BC) has been used to reduce tumor burden prior to surgery. However, the impact on prognosis depends on the establishment of Pathological Complete Response (pCR), which is influenced by tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels and the activation of the antitumor immune response. Nonetheless, NAT can affect immune infiltration and the quality of the response. Here, we showed that NAT induces dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). After NAT, an increase of regulatory T cells and a decrease of CD8+ T cells was found in tumor, correlated with the presence of metastatic cells in lymph nodes. In addition, an increase of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor like cells was found in luminal patients post-NAT. pCR patients showed a balance between the immune populations, while non-pCR patients presented an inverse relationship in the frequency of CD68+ versus CD3+, CD8+, and CD20+ cells. Moreover, activated T cells were found in peripheral blood, as well as an increase in T cell clonality with a lower diversity post-NAT. Overall, these results shown that NAT induces an activation of immune response, however, a balance in the TME seems to be related to a better antigenic presentation and therefore a better response to treatment.

Metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are chronic autoimmune diseases that result from the combined influence of genetic and environmental factors that promotes the loss of tolerance to cellular components. The complexity of these diseases converts them into a major challenge at the diagnostic and treatment level. Therefore, it is convenient to implement the use of tools for a better understanding of the physiopathology of these diseases to propose reliable biomarkers. The "omics" disciplines like metabolomics and lipidomics allow to study RA and SLE in a higher degree of detail since they evaluate the metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in disease pathogenesis. This review has compiled the information of metabolomics and lipidomics studies where samples obtained from RA and SLE patients were evaluated to find the metabolites and pathways differences between patients and healthy controls. In both diseases, there is a decrease in several amino acids and oxidative stress-related metabolites like glutathione. These findings may be useful for functional metabolomics studies aiming to reprogram the metabolism in a disease setting to recover normal immune cell homeostasis and function.

Assessment of Placental Extracellular Vesicles-Associated Fas Ligand and TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand in Pregnancies Complicated by Early and Late Onset Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder that affects 2-8% of pregnancies and is one of the main causes of fetal, neonatal, and maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Although PE etiology and pathophysiology remain unknown, there is evidence that the hyperactivation of maternal immunity cells against placental cells triggers trophoblast cell apoptosis and death. It has also been reported that placenta-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) carry Fas ligand (FasL) and Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and trigger apoptosis in Jurkat T cells. This study aimed to quantify and compare FasL and TRAIL expression in EV derived from cultures of placenta explants from women with PE (early versus late) and women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Also, the study assessed EV capacity to induce apoptosis in Jurkat T cells. The authors isolated EV from placenta explant cultures, quantified FasL and TRAIL using ELISA, and analyzed EV apoptosis-inducing capability by flow cytometry. Results showed increased FasL and TRAIL in EV derived from placenta of women with PE, and increased EV apoptosis-inducing capability in Jurkat T cells. These results offer supporting evidence that EV FasL and TRAIL play a role in the pathophysiology of PE.

TRPM8 Channel Promotes the Osteogenic Differentiation in Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Various families of ion channels have been characterized in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), including some members of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels family. TRP channels are involved in critical cellular processes as differentiation and cell proliferation. Here, we analyzed the expression of TRPM8 channel in human bone marrow MSCs (hBM-MSCs), and its relation with osteogenic differentiation. Patch-clamp recordings showed that hBM-MSCs expressed outwardly rectifying currents which were increased by exposure to 500 µM menthol and were partially inhibited by 10 µM of BCTC, a TRPM8 channels antagonist. Additionally, we have found the expression of TRPM8 by RT-PCR and western blot. We also explored the TRPM8 localization in hBM-MSCs by immunofluorescence using confocal microscopy. Remarkably, hBM-MSCs treatment with 100 µM of menthol or 10 µM of icilin, TRPM8 agonists, increases osteogenic differentiation. Conversely, 20 µM of BCTC, induced a decrease of osteogenic differentiation. These results suggest that TRPM8 channels are functionally active in hBM-MSCs and have a role in cell differentiation.

An Immunomodulatory Gallotanin-Rich Fraction From Caesalpinia spinosa Enhances the Therapeutic Effect of Anti-PD-L1 in Melanoma.

PD-1/PD-L1 pathway plays a role in inhibiting immune response. Therapeutic antibodies aimed at blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction have entered clinical development and have been approved for a variety of cancers. However, the clinical benefits are reduced to a group of patients. The research in combined therapies, which allow for a greater response, is strongly encouraging. We previously characterized a polyphenol-rich extract from Caesalpinia spinosa (P2Et) with antitumor activity in both melanoma and breast carcinoma, as well as immunomodulatory activity. We hypothesize that the combined treatment with P2Et and anti-PD-L1 can improve the antitumor response through an additive antitumor effect. We investigated the antitumor and immunomodulatory activity of P2Et and anti-PD-L1 combined therapy in B16-F10 melanoma and 4T1 breast carcinoma. We analyzed tumor growth, hematologic parameters, T cell counts, cytokine expression, and T cell cytotoxicity. In the melanoma model, combined P2Et and anti-PD-L1 therapy has the following effects: decrease in tumor size; increase in the number of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; decrease in the number of suppressor myeloid cells; increase in PD-L1 expression; decrease in the frequency of CD8+ T cell expressing PD-1; improvement in the cytotoxic activity of T cells; and increase in the IFN γ secretion. In the breast cancer model, P2Et and PD-L1 alone or in combination show antitumor effect with no clear additive effect. This study shows that combined therapy of P2Et and anti-PD-L1 can improve antitumor response in a melanoma model by activating the immune response and neutralizing immunosuppressive mechanisms.

Evaluation of chemotherapy and P2Et extract combination in ex-vivo derived tumor mammospheres from breast cancer patients.

The main cause of death by cancer is metastasis rather than local complications of primary tumors. Recent studies suggest that breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), retains the ability to self-renew and differentiate to repopulate the entire tumor, also, they have been associated with resistance to chemotherapy and tumor recurrence, even after tumor resection. Chemotherapy has been implicated in the induction of resistant phenotypes with highly metastatic potential. Naturally occurring compounds, especially phytochemicals such as P2Et, can target different populations of cancer cells as well as BCSC, favoring the activation of immune response via immunogenic tumor death. Here, we evaluated the presence of BCSC as well as markers related to drug resistance in tumors obtained from 78 patients who had received (or not) chemotherapy before surgery. We evaluated the ex vivo response of patient tumor-derived organoids (or mammospheres) to chemotherapy alone or in combination with P2Et. A xenotransplant model engrafted with MDA-MB-468 was used to evaluate in vivo the activity of P2Et, in this model P2Et delay tumor growth. We show that patients with luminal and TNBC, and those who received neoadjuvant therapy before surgery have a higher frequency of BCSC. Further, the treatment with P2Et in mammospheres and human breast cancer cell lines improve the in vitro tumor death and decrease its viability and proliferation together with the release of immunogenic signals. P2Et could be a good co-adjuvant in antitumor therapy in patients, retarding the tumor growth by enabling the activation of the immune response.

The delay in cell death caused by the induction of autophagy by P2Et extract is essential for the generation of immunogenic signals in melanoma cells.

P2Et extract obtained from the Caesalpinia spinosa plant is abundant in phenolic compounds such as gallic acid and ethyl gallate and can generate signals to activate the immune response by inducing a mechanism known as immunogenic cell death in murine models of breast cancer and melanoma. Immunogenic cell death involves mechanisms such as autophagy, which can be modulated by various natural compounds, including phenolic compounds with a structure similar to those found in P2Et extract. Here, we determine the role of autophagy in apoptosis and the generation of immunogenic signals using murine wild-type B16-F10 melanoma cells and cells with beclin-1 gene knockout. We show that P2Et extract and ethyl gallate induced autophagy, partially protecting tumor cells from death and promoting calreticulin exposure and the release of ATP. Although ethyl gallate showed a mechanism similar to that of P2Et, the induction of apoptosis and immunogenic signals was significantly weaker. In contrast, gallic acid-induced autophagy acted by blocking autophagic flux, which was associated with increased cell death. However, this compound did not induce any of the immunogenic death signals evaluated. Therefore, the complex extract has greater antitumor potential than isolated compounds. Here, we show that inducing autophagic flux with P2Et protects cancer cells from cell death and that this delay in cell death is required for the generation of immunogenic signals.

Phyto-Immunotherapy, a Complementary Therapeutic Option to Decrease Metastasis and Attack Breast Cancer Stem Cells.

In this review, we report on the complexity of breast cancer stem cells as key cells in the emergence of a chemoresistant tumor phenotype, and as a result, the appearance of distant metastasis in breast cancer patients. The search for mechanisms that increase sensitivity to chemotherapy and also allow activation of the tumor-specific immune response is of high priority. As we observed throughout this review, natural products isolated or in standardized extracts, such as P2Et or others, could act synergistically, increasing tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy, recovering the tumor microenvironment, and participating in the induction of a specific immune response. This, in turn, would lead to the destruction of cancer stem cells and the decrease in metastasis. Source of Data: Relevant studies were found using the following keywords or medical subject headings (MeSH) in PubMed, and Google Scholar: "immune response" and "polyphenols" and "natural products" and "BCSC" and "therapy" and "metabolism" and "immunogenic cell death." The focus was primarily on the most recent scientific publication.

Immune system activation by natural products and complex fractions: a network pharmacology approach in cancer treatment.

Natural products and traditional herbal medicine are an important source of alternative bioactive compounds but very few plant-based preparations have been scientifically evaluated and validated for their potential as medical treatments. However, a promising field in the current therapies based on plant-derived compounds is the study of their immunomodulation properties and their capacity to activate the immune system to fight against multifactorial diseases like cancer. In this review we discuss how network pharmacology could help to characterize and validate natural single molecules or more complex preparations as promising cancer therapies based on their multitarget capacities.