The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy and reshaped medical oncology practice over the past decade. However, despite unprecedented and durable clinical responses, most patients eventually fail to respond to ICI therapy due to primary or acquired resistance. There is a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/20/10548 |
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| author | Deniz Can Guven Taha Koray Sahin Alessandro Rizzo Angela Dalia Ricci Sercan Aksoy Kazim Sahin |
| author_facet | Deniz Can Guven Taha Koray Sahin Alessandro Rizzo Angela Dalia Ricci Sercan Aksoy Kazim Sahin |
| author_sort | Deniz Can Guven |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy and reshaped medical oncology practice over the past decade. However, despite unprecedented and durable clinical responses, most patients eventually fail to respond to ICI therapy due to primary or acquired resistance. There is a great need for complementary alternative medicine, such as botanicals and nutritional supplements, because of their capability to modulate a myriad of molecular mechanisms to prevent immunotherapy resistance and reduce its adverse effects. Mounting evidence suggests that phytochemicals, biologically active compounds derived from plants, can favorably regulate key signaling pathways involved in tumor development and progression. In addition, phytochemicals have been found to exert anticancer effects by altering the expression of checkpoint inhibitors of the immune response. The immunomodulatory activity of phytochemicals in the tumor microenvironment has recently received immense interest. Based on these immunomodulatory activities, phytochemicals could be candidates for combination with ICIs in future clinical studies. The current review focuses on the available evidence for combining phytochemicals with a discussion on the promising opportunities to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and potential challenges resulting from these combinations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:46:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6c9fb49ead14c148ef3a53ab8aca4c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:46:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6c9fb49ead14c148ef3a53ab8aca4c62023-11-23T22:46:36ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-10-0112201054810.3390/app122010548The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and ChallengesDeniz Can Guven0Taha Koray Sahin1Alessandro Rizzo2Angela Dalia Ricci3Sercan Aksoy4Kazim Sahin5Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hacettepe, Ankara 06230, TurkeyDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hacettepe, Ankara 06230, TurkeyStruttura Semplice Dipartimentale di Oncologia Medica per la Presa in Carico Globale del Paziente Oncologico “Don Tonino Bello”, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Viale Orazio Flacco 65, 70124 Bari, ItalyMedical Oncology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology, “Saverio de Bellis” Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hacettepe, Ankara 06230, TurkeyDepartment of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University, Elazig 23200, TurkeyImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy and reshaped medical oncology practice over the past decade. However, despite unprecedented and durable clinical responses, most patients eventually fail to respond to ICI therapy due to primary or acquired resistance. There is a great need for complementary alternative medicine, such as botanicals and nutritional supplements, because of their capability to modulate a myriad of molecular mechanisms to prevent immunotherapy resistance and reduce its adverse effects. Mounting evidence suggests that phytochemicals, biologically active compounds derived from plants, can favorably regulate key signaling pathways involved in tumor development and progression. In addition, phytochemicals have been found to exert anticancer effects by altering the expression of checkpoint inhibitors of the immune response. The immunomodulatory activity of phytochemicals in the tumor microenvironment has recently received immense interest. Based on these immunomodulatory activities, phytochemicals could be candidates for combination with ICIs in future clinical studies. The current review focuses on the available evidence for combining phytochemicals with a discussion on the promising opportunities to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and potential challenges resulting from these combinations.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/20/10548phytochemicalsimmune checkpoint inhibitorsimmunotherapyPD-1PD-L1CTLA-4 |
| spellingShingle | Deniz Can Guven Taha Koray Sahin Alessandro Rizzo Angela Dalia Ricci Sercan Aksoy Kazim Sahin The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges Applied Sciences phytochemicals immune checkpoint inhibitors immunotherapy PD-1 PD-L1 CTLA-4 |
| title | The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges |
| title_full | The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges |
| title_fullStr | The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges |
| title_short | The Use of Phytochemicals to Improve the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Opportunities and Challenges |
| title_sort | use of phytochemicals to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors opportunities and challenges |
| topic | phytochemicals immune checkpoint inhibitors immunotherapy PD-1 PD-L1 CTLA-4 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/20/10548 |
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