Bioactive Molecules: their potential and limitation in Tumor Therapy

Abstract

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. However, the increased incidence of cancer mortality is attributed to the increased resistance of tumor to the available therapeutic modalities. Although the significant progression that has been made in tumor treatments, these available therapeutic opportunities are still limited benefit for patients in advanced stages. In addition to their adverse effects, current anticancer agents suffer from insufficient specificity toward tumor cells because of the difficulty to target cancer cells without damaging the healthy ones. Naturally occurring bioactive molecules occupy an essential part of the available anticancer agents. These bioactive molecules are derived mainly from natural sources and have been successfully approved for tumor treatment. Although the efficiency of bioactive molecules is variable and mostly associated with threatening side effects, their clinical application in cancer treatment is indispensable. In this review, we will focus on the molecular action, potential and limitation of bioactive molecules as anticancer agent in tumor therapy.