From traditional medicine to modern oncology: Scutellarin, a promising natural compound in cancer treatment.

Natural substances are increasingly being used as cancer treatments. Scutellarin, as a flavonoid, recently has been identified in a Chinese herbal extract called Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.). Scutellarin is being researched for its potential benefits due to the discovery that it possesses a variety of biological effects, such as neuroprotective, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties. In addition to these biological functions, scutellarin has also been found to have anti-tumor properties. The underlying mechanisms of scutellarin's anticancer activity involve its ability to inhibit various signaling pathways, such as Jak/STAT, ERK/AMPK, and Wnt/ß-catenin. Additionally, scutellarin activates intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, which causes the death of tumor cells, interrupts the cell cycle, and promotes its arrest. By limiting metastasis, angiogenesis, drug resistance, and other tumorigenic processes, scutellarin also reduces the aggressiveness of tumors. Despite its promising anticancer activity, scutellarin faces several challenges in its clinical development, including poor solubility, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic properties. Therefore, it has been suggested that certain modifications can enhance the pharmacogenetic capabilities of scutellarin to decrease its limited water solubility. In conclusion, scutellarin represents a potential candidate for cancer treatment and further studies are needed to explore its clinical utility and optimize its therapeutic potential.

Curcumin and cancer; are long non-coding RNAs missing link?

Despite significant signs of progress in cancer treatment over the past decade, either cancer prevalence or mortality continuously grow worldwide. Current anti-cancer agents show insignificant effectiveness, followed by serious side effects. It is important to find new, highly efficient pharmacological agents to increase cancer patients' clinical outcomes. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound, has gained growing attention because of its anti-cancer properties. Curcumin can hinder the development, migration, and metastasis of cancer cells. The anti-cancer effects of curcumin are principally attributed to the regulation of several cellular signaling pathways, including MAPK/PI3K/Akt, Wnt/ß-catenin, JAK/STAT, and NF-ĸB signaling pathways. Furthermore, curcumin can affect the expression and function of tumor-suppressive and oncogenic long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In this study, we briefly reviewed the modulatory effect of curcumin on dysregulated tumor-supportive and tumor-suppressive lncRNAs in several cancers. It is hoped that a better understanding of curcumin's anti-cancer properties would pave the way for the development of a therapeutic approach in cancer.