Molecular studies on combined effect of zerumbone and cisplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo studies

Abstract

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the second most newlinefrequent cause of cancer-related death globally. Hepatocellular carcinoma newlinerepresents about 90% of primary liver cancers and constitutes a major global newlinehealth challenge. Infection by the hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the newlinemain risk factors for HCC development, although non-alcoholic steatohepatitis newlineassociated with acquired and inherited metabolic syndrome or diabetes newlinemellitus, chronic alcohol abuse, genetic hemochromatosis, and aflatoxin newlineexposure are other frequent risk factors. newlineCisplatin (CIS), cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II), a well-known newlinechemotherapeutic medication, is currently being used as first-line therapy for newlineovarian, testicular, cervical, head and neck, bladder, breast, brain, and newlinesmall-cell lung cancers, either alone or in combination with other anti-cancer newlinedrugs. Although CIS is recognized for its efficacy in the treatment of a broader newlinerange of cancer types, the development of chemo-resistance and undesirable newlineside effects such as nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, hepatotoxicity, allergic newlinereactions, impaired immunity to infections, gastrointestinal disorders, and newlinehemorrhage are all unwanted side effects that make CIS unsuitable for many newlinepatients, depriving them of the best and most beneficial effects of newlinechemotherapy. To address these challenges, combining conventional newlinechemotherapeutic medications with natural products is an ideal strategy for newlineincreasing cancer cell sensitivity to treatments and providing synergistic newlineanti-tumor efficacy by avoiding the pathways and biomarkers that cause liver newlinecancer. newline newline