Translating molecular insights into clinical success: alkaloid-based therapies for leukemia. (PubMed, Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol)
This review discusses several potent alkaloids, such as homoharringtonine, chaetominine, matrine, and jerantinine B, which induce apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy and inhibit signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, and NF-κB...In addition, targeting leukemia stem cells (LSCs) with alkaloids such as zalypsis offers promise due to its ability to induce apoptosis without significantly affecting normal hematopoietic stem cells...For example, jerantinine B targets AML cells, while vincristine has shown success in lymphocytic leukemia...However, adverse effects such as neutropenia and hepatotoxicity necessitate careful management. Collectively, these findings emphasize the need for further research into alkaloid-based combination therapies to enhance efficacy and minimize toxicity, providing a promising avenue for innovative leukemia treatments.