title: Nrf2 targeting by sulforaphane: A potential therapy for cancer treatment.
abstract: In the past decades, extensive studies have reported the potential chemopreventive activity of sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate derived from glucoraphanin, occurring in large amounts in Brassica genus plants. Sulforaphane was found to be active against several forms of cancer. A growing body of data shows that sulforaphane acts against cancer at different levels, from development to progression, through pleiotropic effects. In this review, we discuss the available experimental and clinical data on the potential therapeutic role of sulforaphane against cancer. Its effects range from the protection of cells from DNA damage to the modulation of the cell cycle via pro-apoptotic, anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis activities. At molecular level, sulforaphane modulates cellular homeostasis via the activation of the transcription factor Nrf2. Although data from clinical studies are limited, sulforaphane remains a good candidate in the adjuvant therapy based on natural molecules against several types of cancer.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council , Avellino , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8385-9184
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council , Avellino , Italy.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spagnuolo
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council , Avellino , Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plants Unit , Medical University of Lublin , Lublin , Poland.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9313-5929
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skalicka-Woźniak
authors.affiliation: c Department of Drug Sciences , Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daglia
authors.affiliation: d Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Organic Chemistry , Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela , Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sobarzo-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: e Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Fazel
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Nabavi
authors.affiliation: e Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nabavi
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001937:Brassica / Q000737:chemistry*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017879:Isothiocyanates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013454:Sulfoxides
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D017879:Isothiocyanates; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495635:NFE2L2 protein, human; D013454:Sulfoxides; C016766:sulforaphane
keywords: Antioxidant; Nrf2; cancer; sulforaphane