Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and is responsible for approximately one million deaths each year. The current standard of care is surgical resection of the lesion and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, of concern is the increasing incidence in an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Current Issues in Molecular Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/46/1/10 |
| _version_ | 1797344372541358080 |
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| author | Natalia Kurowska Marcel Madej Barbara Strzalka-Mrozik |
| author_facet | Natalia Kurowska Marcel Madej Barbara Strzalka-Mrozik |
| author_sort | Natalia Kurowska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and is responsible for approximately one million deaths each year. The current standard of care is surgical resection of the lesion and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, of concern is the increasing incidence in an increasingly younger patient population and the ability of CRC cells to develop resistance to 5-FU. In this review, we discuss the effects of thymoquinone (TQ), one of the main bioactive components of <i>Nigella sativa</i> seeds, on CRC, with a particular focus on the use of TQ in combination therapy with other chemotherapeutic agents. TQ exhibits anti-CRC activity by inducing a proapoptotic effect and inhibiting proliferation, primarily through its effect on the regulation of signaling pathways crucial for tumor progression and oxidative stress. TQ can be used synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents to enhance their anticancer effects and to influence the expression of signaling pathways and other genes important in cancer development. These data appear to be most relevant for co-treatment with 5-FU. We believe that TQ is a suitable candidate for consideration in the chemoprevention and adjuvant therapy for CRC, but further studies, including clinical trials, are needed to confirm its safety and efficacy in the treatment of cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:01:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-be72817f4e7d4914ab7c80ab267701d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1467-3037 1467-3045 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:01:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Issues in Molecular Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-be72817f4e7d4914ab7c80ab267701d02024-01-26T15:50:24ZengMDPI AGCurrent Issues in Molecular Biology1467-30371467-30452023-12-0146112113910.3390/cimb46010010Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal CancerNatalia Kurowska0Marcel Madej1Barbara Strzalka-Mrozik2Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, PolandColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and is responsible for approximately one million deaths each year. The current standard of care is surgical resection of the lesion and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, of concern is the increasing incidence in an increasingly younger patient population and the ability of CRC cells to develop resistance to 5-FU. In this review, we discuss the effects of thymoquinone (TQ), one of the main bioactive components of <i>Nigella sativa</i> seeds, on CRC, with a particular focus on the use of TQ in combination therapy with other chemotherapeutic agents. TQ exhibits anti-CRC activity by inducing a proapoptotic effect and inhibiting proliferation, primarily through its effect on the regulation of signaling pathways crucial for tumor progression and oxidative stress. TQ can be used synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents to enhance their anticancer effects and to influence the expression of signaling pathways and other genes important in cancer development. These data appear to be most relevant for co-treatment with 5-FU. We believe that TQ is a suitable candidate for consideration in the chemoprevention and adjuvant therapy for CRC, but further studies, including clinical trials, are needed to confirm its safety and efficacy in the treatment of cancer.https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/46/1/10<i>Nigella sativa</i>thymoquinonecolorectal canceradjuvant therapyanticancer therapy5-FU resistance |
| spellingShingle | Natalia Kurowska Marcel Madej Barbara Strzalka-Mrozik Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Current Issues in Molecular Biology <i>Nigella sativa</i> thymoquinone colorectal cancer adjuvant therapy anticancer therapy 5-FU resistance |
| title | Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer |
| title_full | Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer |
| title_fullStr | Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer |
| title_short | Thymoquinone: A Promising Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer |
| title_sort | thymoquinone a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer |
| topic | <i>Nigella sativa</i> thymoquinone colorectal cancer adjuvant therapy anticancer therapy 5-FU resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/46/1/10 |
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