Targeting Cancer with Nano-Bullets: Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol and Quercetin on Flying Carpets

Abstract

It is becoming progressively more understandable that different phytochemicals isolated from edible plantsinterfere with specific stages of carcinogenesis. Cancer cells have evolved hallmark mechanisms to escape fromdeath. Concordant with this approach, there is a disruption of spatiotemproal behaviour of signaling cascadesin cancer cells, which can escape from apoptosis because of downregulation of tumor suppressor genes and overexpressionof oncogenes. Genomic instability, intra-tumor heterogeneity, cellular plasticity and metastasizingpotential of cancer cells all are related to molecular alterations. Data obtained through in vitro studies hasconvincingly revealed that curcumin, EGCG, resveratrol and quercetin are promising anticancer agents. Theirefficacy has been tested in tumor xenografted mice and considerable experimental findings have stimulatedresearchers to further improve the bioavailability of these nutraceuticals. We partition this review into differentsections with emphasis on how bioavailability of curcumin, EGCG, resveratrol and quercetin has improved usingdifferent nanotechnology approaches.