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Triterpenes in cancer: significance and their influence

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Abstract

Natural products are enriched with numerous compounds with a broad spectrum of therapeutics indication suggesting the role of functional moieties as a core pharmacophore. This review highlights the role of triterpene in targeting signaling pathways in cancer. Advancement in cellular, biochemical, experimental, and computational approaches provides new insights into various pathways in cancer. In signaling network, triterpenes primarily target membrane receptors which control and modulates expression level of the biological responses. Triterpenes are immunomodulatory targeting nuclear factor kappa B, toll-like receptors, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR. Triterpenes isolated from plants and fungus mainly focus on the process of apoptosis while other signaling areas in the cancer are still shrouded. Some of the triterpenes have already passed the clinical trial, whereas many more have been proven to yield effective results. This review would help the researchers to study the role of triterpenes in cancer, thus, helping them to discover and design efficacious therapeutics agents.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, for providing the necessary facilities to carry out the present work. Balraj Singh Gill thanks UGC for Maulana Azad National fellowship (F1-17.1/2011-12/MANF-SIK-HIM-3205).

Author’s contribution

Balraj Singh Gill: Preparation and writing of the whole manuscript. Sanjeev kumar: Addition and improvement of some parts of the manuscript. Navgeet: Idea and writing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Biosciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151001, India

    Balraj Singh Gill

  2. Centre for Plant Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151001, India

    Sanjeev Kumar

  3. Centre for Biotechnology, HMV College Jalandhar, Jalandhar, Punjab, India

    Navgeet

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  1. Balraj Singh Gill
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  2. Sanjeev Kumar
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  3. Navgeet
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Correspondence to Navgeet.

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Gill, B.S., Kumar, S. & Navgeet Triterpenes in cancer: significance and their influence. Mol Biol Rep 43, 881–896 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-016-4032-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-016-4032-9

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