Frontiers in Immunology (Oct 2024)

Revealing the mechanism of natural product-induced immunogenic cell death: opening a new chapter in tumor immunotherapy

  • Yukun Chen,
  • Zhenzhi Wang,
  • Chi Zhang,
  • Yisa Su,
  • Tian Zhou,
  • Kaiwen Hu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1470071
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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This review underscores the role of natural products in inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) as a key strategy in tumor immunotherapy. It reveals that natural products can activate ICD through multiple pathways—apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, and necroptosis—leading to the release of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), dendritic cell activation, and improved antigen presentation, which together stimulate a potent anti-tumor immune response. The study also demonstrates the enhanced therapeutic potential of combining natural products with immune checkpoint inhibitors. With a focus on translating preclinical findings into clinical practice, this review consolidates recent discoveries and suggests future research paths, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing cancer immunotherapy.

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