Unveiling the potential anti-cancer activity of calycosin against multivarious cancers with molecular insights: A promising frontier in cancer research

Abstract

Background: Calycosin may be a potential candidate regarding chemotherapeutic agent, because already some studies against multivarious cancer have been made with this natural compound.

Aim: This review elucidated a brief overview of previous studies on calycosin potential effects on various cancers and its potential mechanism of action.

Methodology: Data retrieved by systematic searches of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus by using keywords including calycosin, cancer types, anti-cancer mechanism, synergistic, and pharmacokinetic and commonly used tools are BioRender, ChemDraw Professional 16.0, and ADMETlab 2.0.

Results: Based on our review, calycosin is available in nature and effective against around 15 different types of cancer. Generally, the anti-cancer mechanism of this compound is mediated through a variety of processes, including regulation of apoptotic pathways, cell cycle, angiogenesis and metastasis, oncogenes, enzymatic pathways, and signal transduction process. These study conducted in various study models, including in silico, in vitro, preclinical and clinical models. The molecular framework behind the anti-cancer effect is targeting some oncogenic and therapeutic proteins and multiple signaling cascades. Therapies based on nano-formulated calycosin may make excellent nanocarriers for the delivery of this compound to targeted tissue as well as particular organ. This natural compound becomes very effective when combined with other natural compounds and some standard drugs. Moreover, proper use of this compound can reverse resistance to existing anti-cancer drugs through a variety of strategies. Calycosin showed better pharmacokinetic properties with less toxicity in human bodies.

Conclusion: Calycosin exhibits excellent potential as a therapeutic drug against several cancer types and should be consumed until standard chemotherapeutics are available in pharma markets.

Keywords: anti-cancer perspective; calycosin; molecular pharmacology; nanoformulation; pharmacokinetics; synergistic.