title: Traditional Chinese medicine targeting apoptotic mechanisms for esophageal cancer therapy.
abstract: Esophageal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world, and it demonstrates a distinct geographical distribution pattern in China. In the last decade, inducing apoptosis with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become an active area in both fundamental and clinical research on cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms by which TCM induces apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. These mechanisms are generally related but not limited to targeting the extrinsic death receptor pathway, the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway, and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. By using different monomers and composite prescriptions of TCM, it is possible to modulate the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, regulate the expression of caspase proteases and mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increase the expression of Fas and p53, down-regulate NF-κB pathway and the expression of Chop and survivin, and block cell cycle progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China.|Dysphagia Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050011, China.
authors.forename: Yu-shuang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China.|Dysphagia Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050011, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D020169:Caspases