article · Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
Oxidative stress stems from an imbalance in oxidation levels that favours oxidants, acting as a major contributor to DNA damage alongside genomic and epigenetic instability. These molecular disruptions, including single-strand and double-strand DNA breaks, are closely tied to the emergence and progression of tumours. Because oxidative stress and its downstream epigenetic consequences drive malignant transformation, both represent significant opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Natural products are gaining attention for their ability to counteract these carcinogenic mechanisms. Bioactive compounds can function both as antioxidants that target oxidative stress and as natural epi-drugs that reorganise and modulate altered epigenetic networks. Understanding the intricate relationships between oxidative damage, epigenetic shifts, and cancer progression underscores the promise of plant-derived molecules in developing antitumour strategies.
Cancer development is heavily driven by cellular stress that damages genetic material and disrupts gene regulation. Identifying how naturally occurring molecules can act as both protective antioxidants and epigenetic modulators opens up new directions for developing gentler, nature-inspired cancer therapies that target the underlying cellular disruptions causing tumour growth.
The findings point towards the early-stage exploration of plant-derived molecules as active ingredients for future oncology pharmaceuticals and therapeutic formulations. Potential users include drug discovery teams and biotechnology companies developing antitumour therapeutics focused on epigenetic targets. Because the evidence represents review-level conceptual research rather than preclinical or clinical validation, the work remains at an early discovery stage, far from immediate market deployment.
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Oxidative stress results from a persistent imbalance in oxidation levels that promotes oxidants, playing a crucial role in the early and sustained phases of DNA damage and genomic and epigenetic instability, both of which are intricately linked to the development of tumors. The molecular pathways contributing to carcinogenesis in this context, particularly those related to double-strand and single-strand breaks in DNA, serve as indicators of DNA damage due to oxidation in cancer cases, as well as factors contributing to epigenetic instability through ectopic expressions. Oxidative stress has been considered a therapeutic target for many years, and an increasing number of studies have highlighted the promising effectiveness of natural products in cancer treatment. In this regard, we present significant research on the therapeutic targeting of oxidative stress using natural molecules and underscore the essential role of oxidative stress in cancer. The consequences of stress, especially epigenetic instability, also offer significant therapeutic prospects. In this context, the use of natural epi-drugs capable of modulating and reorganizing the epigenetic network is beginning to emerge remarkably. In this review, we emphasize the close connections between oxidative stress, epigenetic instability, and tumor transformation, while highlighting the role of natural substances as antioxidants and epi-drugs in the anti-tumoral context.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116432
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