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Review
. 2020 Oct;72(10):2065-2079.
doi: 10.1002/iub.2350. Epub 2020 Jul 31.

Berberine: A novel therapeutic strategy for cancer

Parisa Samadi  1   2 , Parisa Sarvarian  1   2 , Elham Gholipour  1   2 , Karim Shams Asenjan  3 , Leili Aghebati-Maleki  4 , Roza Motavalli  2 , Mohammad Hojjat-Farsangi  5 , Mehdi Yousefi  2   6
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Berberine: A novel therapeutic strategy for cancer

Parisa Samadi et al. IUBMB Life. 2020 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Cancer, even currently, is one of the main reasons for mortality and morbidity, worldwide. In recent years, a great deal of effort has been made to find efficient therapeutic strategies for cancer, however, particularly with regards to side effects and the possibility of complete remission. Berberine (BBR) is a nature-driven phytochemical component originated from different plant groups such as Berberis vulgaris, Berberis aquifolium, and Berberis aristata. BBR is a well-known nutraceutical because of its wide range of pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiparasitic, antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, and fungicide. In addition, it exhibits inhibitory effects on multiple types of cancers. In this review, we have elaborated on the anticancer effects of BBR through the regulation of different molecular pathways such as: inducing apoptosis, autophagy, arresting cell cycle, and inhibiting metastasis and invasion.

Keywords: Berberine; cancer therapy; natural products; oncology; phytochemicals.

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References

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