A multi-targeting natural compound with growth inhibitory and anti-angiogenic properties re-sensitizes chemotherapy resistant cancer

Targeted therapies have become the focus of much of the cancer therapy research conducted in the United States. While these therapies have made vast improvements in the treatment of cancer, their results have been somewhat disappointing due to acquired resistances, high cost, and limited populations of susceptible patients. As a result, targeted therapeutics are often combined with other targeted therapeutics or chemotherapies. Compounds which target more than one cancer related pathway are rare, but have the potential to synergize multiple components of therapeutic cocktails. Natural products, as opposed to targeted therapies, typically interact with multiple cellular targets simultaneously, making them a potential source of synergistic cancer treatments. In this study, a rare natural product, deacetylnemorone, was shown to inhibit cell growth in a broad spectrum of cancer cell lines, selectively induce cell death in melanoma cells, and inhibit angiogenesis and invasion. Combined, these results demonstrate that deacetylnemorone affects multiple cancer-related targets associated with tumor growth, drug resistance, and metastasis. Thus, the multi-targeting natural product, deacetylnemorone, has the potential to enhance the efficacy of current cancer treatments as well as reduce commonly acquired treatment resistance.