Abstract
Throughout history, naturally derived molecules have had countless applications in medicine, pharmacy, and biology. This rich reservoir of natural compounds demonstrated great potential in treating various diseases, mainly cancer. Alkaloids, a subfamily of secondary metabolites, are derived from a large variety of organisms including plants, animals, and marine organisms. This group of compounds has exhibited promising anticancer and chemopreventive effects and has been found to chemo-sensitize tumor cells that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The remarkable structural diversity of anticancer alkaloids has allowed their use as lead compounds in the treatment of cancer. Chemical derivatization and modifications of alkaloid structures led to the improvement of their therapeutic potential. Many of these second-generation alkaloids are currently commercially available or are in advanced clinical trials, and a major group is still being tested preclinically. Here we provide an overview of alkaloids that are in clinical trials and which are FDA approved. We have classified anticancer alkaloids according to their biological origin and presented an extensive discussion of their mechanism of action and clinical toxicity. The understanding of the mechanism of action and clinical manifestations of anticancer alkaloids is essential for advancing their use and enhancing their efficacy in the clinic.
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Ballout, F., Habli, Z., Monzer, A., Rahal, O.N., Fatfat, M., Gali-Muhtasib, H. (2019). Anticancer Alkaloids: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Manifestations. In: Sharma, A. (eds) Bioactive Natural Products for the Management of Cancer: from Bench to Bedside. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7607-8_1
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