Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.0
6.0
Journals
Cells
Special Issues
Advances in Plants-Derived Bioactives for Cancer Treatment 2.0
share announcement

Advances in Plants-Derived Bioactives for Cancer Treatment 2.0

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 3297

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Natália Cruz-Martins

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
2. TOXRUN—Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
Interests: evidence-based medicine; phytochemistry; phytopharmacology; drug discovery; bioactive molecules; functional foods; nutraceuticals; oxidative stress; inflammation; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is the expanded second edition of “Advances in Plants-Derived Bioactives for Cancer Treatment”, whose 1st edition resulted in the publication of 19 papers.

The incidence of cancer worldwide has raised growing concerns among the medical and scientific communities and even among individuals who live with the disease. The advances in targeted therapy are remarkable; however, the rates of adverse effects are high, and in recent years, the problem of acquired resistance as a result of genetic mutations occurring has been the subject of intense investigation. Several studies are beginning to investigate the use of new drug-delivery systems, namely, nanoformulations, to improve the effectiveness of conventional treatments and reduce their adverse effects. However, in this context, there is an increasing number of attempts to create new therapeutic formulas combining conventional drugs with natural bioactives. In fact, medicinal plants are an extremely rich source of bioactives with wide-ranging potential. In the early days, knowledge was empirical, despite the various mentions in the literature available at the time. However, there are now numerous publications highlighting the promising potential of these bioactives for multiple conditions, including cancer.

In this sense, this Special Issue encourages the submission of original articles, review articles, comments, and case series (more than two) focusing on the effects of plant-derived bioactives, whether in their natural form or of synthetic origin, on cancer. Special attention is also given to the submission of papers that jointly use plant-derived bioactives with conventional drugs to improve the overall efficacy and to reduce the adverse effects.

Prof. Dr. Natália Cruz-Martins
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • medicinal plants
  • phytochemicals
  • chronic inflammation
  • oxidative stress
  • cancer
  • bioavailability

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 4667 KiB  
Article
Cannabidiol Combination Enhances Photodynamic Therapy Effects on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells
by Dimakatso Mokoena, Blassan P. George and Heidi Abrahamse
Cells 2024, 13(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13020187 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1819
Abstract
Cannabis sativa is a well-known plant for its psychoactive effects; however, its many derivatives, such as Cannabidiol (CBD), contain several therapeutic applications. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main cannabis derivative responsible for psychoactive properties, while CBD is non-psychotropic. For this reason, CBD has been [...] Read more.
Cannabis sativa is a well-known plant for its psychoactive effects; however, its many derivatives, such as Cannabidiol (CBD), contain several therapeutic applications. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main cannabis derivative responsible for psychoactive properties, while CBD is non-psychotropic. For this reason, CBD has been more exploited in the last decade. CBD has been connected to multiple anticancer properties, and when combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT), it is possible to eradicate tumors more effectively. In this study, CBD was utilized to treat MCF-7 breast cancer cells, followed by in vitro PDT combination therapy. Conventional breast cancer treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. have been reported for inducing a number of undesirable side effects, recurrence of the disease, and low quality of life. In this study, cells were exposed to varying concentrations of CBD (i.e., 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 μg/mL) and incubated 12 and 24 h after treatment. The optimal doses were then used in combination therapy. Morphology and biochemical assays, including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) for membrane integrity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for viability, and trypan blue exclusion assay for viability, were used to examine cellular responses after treatments. The optimal concentration was then utilized in Hypericin-Gold nanoparticles mediated PDT combination. The results revealed that, in a dose-dependent manner, conventional morphological characteristics of cell death, such as vacuolization, blebbing, and floating were observed in treated cells. The biochemical responses demonstrated an increase in LDH, a decrease in ATP, and a reduction in viability. This study demonstrated that CBD induces cell death in MCF-7 breast cancer cells cultured in vitro. The immunofluorescence results of combination therapy indicated that cell death occurred via apoptosis. In conclusion, this study proposes that the CBD and PDT combination therapy is effective in killing MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro by induction of apoptosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plants-Derived Bioactives for Cancer Treatment 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

0 pages, 18557 KiB  
Article
Satureja bachtiarica Induces Cancer Cell Death in Breast and Glioblastoma Cancer in 2D/3D Models and Suppresses Breast Cancer Stem Cells
by Vajihe Azimian Zavareh, Shima Gharibi, Mahnaz Hosseini Rizi, Abdolhossein Nekookar, Hossein Mirhendi, Mehdi Rahimmalek and Antoni Szumny
Cells 2023, 12(23), 2713; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12232713 - 26 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1091
Abstract
Overcoming drug resistance and specifically targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) are critical challenges in improving cancer therapy. Nowadays, the use of novel and native medicinal plants can provide new sources for further investigations for this purpose. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
Overcoming drug resistance and specifically targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) are critical challenges in improving cancer therapy. Nowadays, the use of novel and native medicinal plants can provide new sources for further investigations for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of S. bachtiarica, an endemic plant with diverse medicinal applications, in suppressing and targeting cancer and cancer stem cells in glioblastoma and breast cancer. The effect of S. bachtiarica on viability, migration, invasion, and clonogenic potential of MDAMB-231 and U87-MG cells was assessed in both two- and three-dimensional cell culture models. Additionally, we evaluated its effects on the self-renewal capacity of mammospheres. The experimental outcomes indicated that S. bachtiarica decreased the viability and growth rate of cells and spheroids by inducing apoptosis and inhibited colony formation, migration, and invasion of cells and spheroids. Additionally, colony and sphere-forming ability, as well as the expression of genes associated with EMT and stemness were reduced in mammospheres treated with S. bachtiarica. In conclusion, this study provided valuable insights into the anti-cancer effects of S. bachtiarica, particularly in relation to breast CSCs. Therefore, S. bachtiarica may be a potential adjuvant for the treatment of cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plants-Derived Bioactives for Cancer Treatment 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop