Role of Oncoviruses in Cancer Progression and Emerging Phytochemical-Based Therapies from Medicinal Plants.
Singh S, Yadav P.
Medicinal Plants
The jimsonweed sprawling across roadsides and the amla tree fruiting in South Asian gardens carry compounds that researchers are now seriously testing against the viruses behind cervical cancer, liver cancer, and lymphoma.
Some viruses, rather than simply causing an infection that clears up, permanently rewire human cells so they multiply out of control — this is how they trigger cancers like cervical cancer, liver cancer, and certain lymphomas. Standard treatments for these virus-linked cancers often hit dead ends: the viruses hide dormant, tumors develop resistance, and side effects can be severe. Scientists reviewing the field found that seven traditional medicinal plants — including Indian gooseberry (amla), bael fruit, cannabis, and even jimsonweed — contain natural compounds that, in lab studies, can simultaneously block the viral tricks, calm runaway inflammation, and push cancerous cells toward self-destruction.
Key Findings
Oncoviruses (HPV, Epstein-Barr, Hepatitis B/C, HTLV-1, KSHV) collectively cause 12–15% of all human malignancies worldwide by continuously disrupting cell-cycle regulation, immune surveillance, and metabolic homeostasis.
Bioactive compounds from seven medicinal plants demonstrated antiviral, immune-modulatory, pro-apoptotic, and cell-cycle regulatory effects in preclinical models, with activity across at least six major oncogenic signaling pathways (PI3K/AKT/mTOR, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, p53).
Multi-target action of phytochemicals is highlighted as a key advantage over conventional single-target drugs, with the potential to reduce viral latency escape and drug resistance — problems that specifically hamper treatment access in low- and middle-income countries.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Viruses responsible for 12–15% of all human cancers hijack multiple cell-signaling pathways to drive uncontrolled growth. This review highlights seven medicinal plants whose bioactive compounds show preclinical promise as multi-target antiviral and anti-cancer agents, offering a potential path around drug resistance and treatment toxicity.
Abstract Preview
Oncoviruses continues to be an unattended cause of the global cancer load as they cause about 12-15 % of human malignancies in the world. The oncogenic infections that become persistent, such as Hu...
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Phyllanthus emblica, commonly known as emblic, Indian gooseberry, amalaki, amloki, or amla, is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Asia.