Resveratrol's hepatic symphony: conducting a multi-stage intervention in liver cancer's progression.
Guo Cui, Cao Fang, Zhou Ling, Guo Guijun, Zheng Shaoyuan, Xia Ruixue, Zou Qinghua
Abstract
The development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistep process often associated with chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Natural products, like resveratrol, have attracted considerable attention as anticancer drugs due to their diverse pharmacological activities. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol present in plant foods, which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-angiogenesis effects. The growing consensus shows that resveratrol plays a therapeutic role in liver diseases positively. The therapeutic effect observed in chronic hepatitis may be related to its ability to interfere with viral replication through PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, and MAPK signaling modulation, as well as to diminish hepatocellular injury by anti-inflammatory and antioxidant means. In liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, resveratrol decelerates the progression of fibrosis by suppressing the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and collagen production as well as by regulating signaling pathways, Hippo, Nrf2/Keap1, and SIRT1. Resveratrol also prevents tumor growth, induces apoptosis and inhibits migration, invasion and angiogenesis by various signaling pathways, which include PI3K/AKT, JNK, NF-κB, and p53 in advanced HCC. It is the first time that a multi-stage mechanism of resveratrol is presented in the development of HCC, which highlights its multi-target regulation and treatment capabilities.
Key Findings
- Resveratrol exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-angiogenesis effects in liver diseases.
- It modulates multiple signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, MAPK, Hippo, Nrf2/Keap1, and SIRT1 to interfere with viral replication, reduce hepatocellular injury, and slow fibrosis progression.
- Resveratrol prevents tumor growth, induces apoptosis, and inhibits migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma through multi-target regulation.
Clinical Significance
Resveratrol shows potential as a multi-stage therapeutic agent for liver cancer by targeting various pathways involved in disease progression, highlighting its promise for drug development in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.
Citation
Guo Cui, Cao Fang, Zhou Linget al.. Resveratrol's hepatic symphony: conducting a multi-stage intervention in liver cancer's progression. Chinese journal of natural medicines. 2026-Jun.