Traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cancers of hepatobiliary system: from clinical evidence to drug discovery

• Published in: Molecular cancer Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 218 - 27
• Main Authors: Wu, Junyu, Tang, Guoyi, Cheng, Chien-Shan, Yeerken, Ranna, Chan, Yau-Tuen, Fu, Zhiwen, Zheng, Yi-Chao, Feng, Yibin, Wang, Ning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 01.10.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Biliary cancer; Biliary Tract Neoplasms - drug therapy; Biliary Tract Neoplasms - metabolism; Biliary Tract Neoplasms - pathology; Cancer; Chinese medicine; Clinical trials; Development and progression; Digestive system cancer; Drug Discovery; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Evidence-based medicine; Gastrointestinal diseases; Health aspects; Homeopathy; Humans; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Materia medica and therapeutics; Medicine, Chinese; Medicine, Chinese Traditional - methods; Oncology, Experimental; Pancreatic cancer; Review; Technology application; Therapeutics; China; Clinical trials; Liver cancer; Chinese medicine; Biliary cancer; Drug discovery; Pancreatic cancer
• ISSN: 1476-4598; 1476-4598
• DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02136-2

Hepatic, biliary, and pancreatic cancer pose significant challenges in the field of digestive system diseases due to their highly malignant nature. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has gained attention as a potential therapeutic approach with long-standing use in China and well-recognized clinical benefits. In this review, we systematically summarized the clinical applications of TCM that have shown promising results in clinical trials in treating hepatic, biliary, and pancreatic cancer. We highlighted several commonly used TCM therapeutics with validated efficacy through rigorous clinical trials, including Huaier Granule, Huachansu, and Icaritin. The active compounds and their potential targets have been thoroughly elucidated to offer valuable insights into the potential of TCM for anti-cancer drug discovery. We emphasized the importance of further research to bridge the gap between TCM and modern oncology, facilitating the development of evidence-based TCM treatment for these challenging malignancies.