title: Emerging potential of natural products for targeting mucins for therapy against inflammation and cancer.
abstract: Deregulated mucin expression is a hallmark of several inflammatory and malignant pathologies. Emerging evidence suggests that, apart from biomarkers, these deregulated mucins are functional contributors to the pathogenesis in inflammation and cancer. Both overexpression and downregulation of mucins in various organ systems is associated with pathobiology of inflammation and cancer. Restoration of mucin homeostasis has become an important goal for therapy and management of such disorders has fueled the quest for selective mucomodulators. With improved understanding of mucin regulation and mechanistic insights into their pathobiological roles, there is optimism to find selective non-toxic agents capable of modulating mucin expression and function. Recently, natural compounds derived from dietary sources have drawn attention due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and low toxicity. Considerable efforts have been directed towards evaluating dietary natural products as chemopreventive and therapeutic agents; identification, characterization and synthesis of their active compounds; and improving their delivery and bioavailability. We describe the current understanding of mucin regulation, rationale for targeting mucins with natural products and discuss some natural products that modulate mucin expression and functions. We further discuss the approaches and parameters that should guide future research to identify and evaluate selective natural mucomodulators for therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA. Electronic address: muzafar.macha@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Muzafar A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Macha
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
authors.forename: Shiv Ram
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Krishn
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
authors.forename: Rahat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
authors.forename: Kasturi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
authors.forename: Surinder K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Batra
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA. Electronic address: mjain@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Maneesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D009077:Mucins
keywords: Cancer; Inflammation; Mucins; Natural compounds; Therapy