Tanshinone IIA: A Review of its Anticancer Effects

Zhong-Ying Fang; Miao Zhang; Jia-Ning Liu; Xue Zhao; Yong-Qing Zhang; Lei Fang

doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.611087

Tanshinone IIA: A Review of its Anticancer Effects

Front Pharmacol. 2021 Jan 14:11:611087. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.611087. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Zhong-Ying Fang^{1

2}, Miao Zhang¹, Jia-Ning Liu¹, Xue Zhao¹, Yong-Qing Zhang², Lei Fang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Biological Sciences and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
² School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a pharmacologically lipophilic active constituent isolated from the roots and rhizomes of the Chinese medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen). Tan IIA is currently used in China and other neighboring countries to treat patients with cardiovascular system, diabetes, apoplexy, arthritis, sepsis, and other diseases. Recently, it was reported that tan IIA could have a wide range of antitumor effects on several human tumor cell lines, but the research of the mechanism of tan IIA is relatively scattered in cancer. This review aimed to summarize the recent advances in the anticancer effects of tan IIA and to provide a novel perspective on clinical use of tan IIA.

Keywords: Salvia miltiorrhiza; anticancer; mechanism; tanshinone IIA; traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

Review