title: Natural compounds with aromatase inhibitory activity: an update.
abstract: Several synthetic aromatase inhibitors are currently in clinical use for the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer. However, these treatments may lead to untoward side effects and so the search for new aromatase inhibitors continues, especially those for which the activity is promoter-specific, targeting the breast-specific promoters I.3 and II. Recently, numerous natural compounds have been found to inhibit aromatase in noncellular, cellular, and IN VIVO studies. These investigations, covering the last two years, as well as additional studies that have focused on the evaluation of natural compounds as promoter-specific aromatase inhibitors or as aromatase inducers, are described in this review.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. marcy.balunas@uconn.edu
authors.forename: Marcy J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Balunas
authors.forename: A Douglas
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kinghorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001141:Aromatase / Q000737:chemistry; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D001141:Aromatase