Plant Terpenoids in Combination with Conventional Therapeutics in Colorectal Cancer: A Promising Option.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Colorectal cancer accounts for approximately 10% of cancer-related mortality in Western countries. The plant-derived terpenoids represent the largest and most diverse class of natural products which possess potent anti-cancer properties in various tumor types. Combination therapy interacts with multiple targets in the molecular networks of colorectal cancer and may achieve synergistic or additive efficacy but reduce adverse side effects. The purpose of this review, mainly based on available preclinical data, is to summarize various plant terpenoids as potential sensitizers to conventional colorectal cancer therapies, along with the challenges and opportunities of these combinations in the clinical application for colorectal cancer treatment.

RECENT FINDINGS

A total of 33 relevant articles were considered for review. This review provided a comprehensive overview of the current state of combining plant terpenoids with conventional therapeutics for colorectal cancer treatment, and discussed the associated therapeutic challenges and opportunities for successfully translating the preclinical findings into clinical settings.. We concluded that plant terpenoids as potential adjuvants potentiate the antitumor efficacy of conventional colorectal cancer therapies by inducing apoptosis, reducing senescence, and inhibiting angiogenesis, metastasis, and inflammation through multiple pathways. Hopefully, the knowledge gained from this review will shape future research directions in this field.