From food to clinical medicine — nutraceuticals as clinical therapeutics for hematological malignancies

• Nutraceuticals are frequently consumed by cancer patients.
• Little clinical evidence supports their anti-cancer treatment applications.
• Nutraceuticals are bioactive compounds with clinical potential.
• Nutraceuticals should be used with caution as they can interfere with chemotherapy.

Nutraceuticals are food-derived bioactive compounds with anti-cancer treatment potential. From a vitamin A metabolite (all-trans-retinoic acid) for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML) to an edible mushroom extract (maitake) in Phase 2 clinical trial for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), nutraceuticals are found at all stages of clinical development for treatment of various hematological malignancies. Here, we report the advances in nutraceutical discovery and therapeutic relevance for these diseases.