Oridonin: An active diterpenoid targeting cell cycle arrest, apoptotic and autophagic pathways for cancer therapeutics

It is well-known that cell cycle arrest and/or death play a pivotal role in tumor progression, which has drawn a rising attention for cancer biologists due to their complex and intricate relationships. In this review, we demonstrate the recent research on oridonin, an active diterpenoid with remarkable anti-proliferative activities, and then further explore its molecular mechanisms of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy and their cross-talks in various cancer cells, which may provide a new perspective of oridonin as a candidate anti-neoplastic drug for future cancer therapeutics.