The role of metabolic reprogramming in cancer metastasis and potential mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine intervention.

Metabolic reprogramming is one of the most prominent features underlying cancer cells progression and metastasis.Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the clinical treatment of cancer, with the advantages of multi-pathway, multi-target, multi-component anti-tumor pharmacological effects and low risk of adverse effects. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor effects of TCM are not fully understood, especially on cellular metabolic reprogramming. In this review, we summarize the role of glucose, lipid and amino acid metabolism in cancer metastasis, which is key in cancer cells and tumor micro-environment (TME) cell metabolism. Furthermore, we reviewed the potential mechanisms by which, most bioactive TCM compounds suppress cancer metastasis by regulating metabolic reprogramming and the possibility of sensitizing other anti-tumor drugs. TCM and its bioactive compounds have huge prospects for clinical application in the treatment of cancer metastasis. Unfortunately, little is currently known about the regulatory effects of Chinese herbal medicines and their bioactive compounds on the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells and the combination therapy for cancers. This review provides novel insights into the regulation of metabolic reprogramming by TCM in combination with other anti-tumor drugs against cancer metastasis and the possibility of becoming sensitizers for other anti-tumor drugs.

A combination of PD­1/PD­L1 inhibitors: The prospect of overcoming the weakness of tumor immunotherapy (Review).

Programmed cell death protein­1 (PD­1)/programmed death protein ligand­1 (PD­L1) inhibitors for treatment of a various types of cancers have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy. However, PD­1/PD­L1 inhibitors are associated with a low response rate and are only effective on a small number of patients with cancer. Development of an anti­PD­1/PD­L1 sensitizer for improving response rate and effectiveness of immunotherapy is a challenge. The present study reviews the synergistic effects of PD­1/PD­L1 inhibitor with oncolytic virus, tumor vaccine, molecular targeted drugs, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, intestinal flora and traditional Chinese medicine, to provide information for development of effective combination therapies.