Anticancer Mechanisms and Researches of Isothiocyanates

ABSTRACTThe anticancer effects of Isothiocyanates and their synthetic derivates (ITCs) are very extensive. The anticancer mechanisms and the researches of ITCs are reviewed in this paper. The mechanisms may be combination and modification of drug-metabolizing enzymes, influence on the cell cycle and cell differentiation, induction of apoptosis, suppression of proliferation and angiogenesis, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, anti-hormone effects, inhibition activity of Cycloxygenase-2, synergy on anticancer drugs and reverse effect on drugs resistant. ITCs are ideal chemoprevention and anticancer agents since they can affect different phases of multistage carcinogenesis. Many related clinical researches have confirmed that ITCs have the functions of anticancer and chemoprevention. So ITCs are not only multitarget chemoprevention agents, but also quite promising chemoprevention and anticancer agents.