Targeting Apoptotic Pathway of Cancer Cells with Phytochemicals and Plant-Based Nanomaterials
Atif Khurshid Wani,
Nahid Akhtar,
Tahir ul Gani Mir,
Rattandeep Singh,
Prakash Kumar Jha,
Shyam Kumar Mallik,
Shruti Sinha,
Surya Kant Tripathi,
Abha Jain,
Aprajita Jha,
Hari Prasad Devkota,
Ajit Prakash
Affiliations
Atif Khurshid Wani
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
Nahid Akhtar
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
Tahir ul Gani Mir
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
Rattandeep Singh
School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
Prakash Kumar Jha
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Shyam Kumar Mallik
College of Medical and Allied Sciences, Purbanchal University, Morang 56600, Nepal
Shruti Sinha
UNC Blood Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Surya Kant Tripathi
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Abha Jain
Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Aprajita Jha
School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India
Hari Prasad Devkota
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
Ajit Prakash
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Apoptosis is the elimination of functionally non-essential, neoplastic, and infected cells via the mitochondrial pathway or death receptor pathway. The process of apoptosis is highly regulated through membrane channels and apoptogenic proteins. Apoptosis maintains cellular balance within the human body through cell cycle progression. Loss of apoptosis control prolongs cancer cell survival and allows the accumulation of mutations that can promote angiogenesis, promote cell proliferation, disrupt differentiation, and increase invasiveness during tumor progression. The apoptotic pathway has been extensively studied as a potential drug target in cancer treatment. However, the off-target activities of drugs and negative implications have been a matter of concern over the years. Phytochemicals (PCs) have been studied for their efficacy in various cancer cell lines individually and synergistically. The development of nanoparticles (NPs) through green synthesis has added a new dimension to the advancement of plant-based nanomaterials for effective cancer treatment. This review provides a detailed insight into the fundamental molecular pathways of programmed cell death and highlights the role of PCs along with the existing drugs and plant-based NPs in treating cancer by targeting its programmed cell death (PCD) network.
