Abstract
Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries as a prophylactic and therapeutic medicinal agent. Importantly, garlic has been suggested to have both cancer-preventive potential as well as significant enhancing effects on the immune system. While these observations are supported experimentally both in vitro and in vivo, the impact of garlic in assisting the immune system in the prevention of cancer still lacks experimental confirmation. Studies addressing the immunomodulatory effects of garlic reveal conflicting data as to pro- or anti-inflammatory responses depending on the particular experimental set-ups and the garlic preparation used (i.e. garlic extract versus chemically pure garlic compounds). Here we provide an overview of the chemistry of the major garlic organosulfur compounds, summarize the current understanding and propose a link between the immunomodulating activity of garlic and the prevention of cancer. We hypothesize that garlic rather elicits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative responses that aid in priming the organism towards eradication of an emerging tumor.
Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, cancer prevention, disulfide, garlic, immunomodulatory.
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Title:The Immunomodulation and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Garlic Organosulfur Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention
Volume: 14 Issue: 2
Author(s): Georgia Schäfer and Catherine H. Kaschula
Affiliation:
Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, cancer prevention, disulfide, garlic, immunomodulatory.
Abstract: Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries as a prophylactic and therapeutic medicinal agent. Importantly, garlic has been suggested to have both cancer-preventive potential as well as significant enhancing effects on the immune system. While these observations are supported experimentally both in vitro and in vivo, the impact of garlic in assisting the immune system in the prevention of cancer still lacks experimental confirmation. Studies addressing the immunomodulatory effects of garlic reveal conflicting data as to pro- or anti-inflammatory responses depending on the particular experimental set-ups and the garlic preparation used (i.e. garlic extract versus chemically pure garlic compounds). Here we provide an overview of the chemistry of the major garlic organosulfur compounds, summarize the current understanding and propose a link between the immunomodulating activity of garlic and the prevention of cancer. We hypothesize that garlic rather elicits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative responses that aid in priming the organism towards eradication of an emerging tumor.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Schäfer Georgia and Kaschula H. Catherine, The Immunomodulation and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Garlic Organosulfur Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2014; 14 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/18715206113136660370
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/18715206113136660370 |
Print ISSN 1871-5206 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5992 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Induction of cell death in cancer cells by modulating telomerase activity using small molecule drugs
Telomeres are distinctive but short stretches present at the corners of chromosomes and aid in stabilizing chromosomal makeup. Resynthesis of telomeres supported by the activity of reverse transcriptase ribonucleoprotein complex telomerase. There is no any telomerase activity in human somatic cells, but the stem cells and germ cells undergone telomerase ...read more
Role of natural compounds as anti anti-cancer agents
Cancer is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy remains an important approach in treatment o f several types of cancers, even though ...read more
Signaling and enzymatic modulators in cancer treatment
Cancer accounts for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022 and is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are the most important approach for the treatment of several ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Molecular Mechanisms of Anti-cancer Activities of β-elemene: Targeting Hallmarks of Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry It is All About Proteases: From Drug Delivery to In Vivo Imaging and Photomedicine
Current Medicinal Chemistry Involvement of Targeting and Scaffolding Proteins in the Regulation of the EGFR/Ras/MAPK Pathway in Oncogenesis
Current Signal Transduction Therapy Current Status and Future Perspectives of Chemoprevention in Head and Neck Cancer
Current Cancer Drug Targets Editorial [Hot Topic: Cancer Genetics (Guest Editor: Anirban Maitra)]
Current Molecular Medicine Interaction Between Retinoids and Eicosanoids: Their Relevance to Cancer Chemoprevention
Current Nutrition & Food Science PET/CT With 68Ga-PSMA in Prostate Cancer: Radiopharmaceutical Background and Clinical Implications
Current Radiopharmaceuticals New Hope for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Exosomes Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation
Current Gene Therapy Meet Our Editorial Board Member:
Current Medicinal Chemistry Emerging Role of Stromal Fibroblasts in Epithelial Cancer
Current Signal Transduction Therapy B Cell Depletion in Systemic Vasculitis
Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) Eicosanoids in Prevention and Management of Diseases
Current Molecular Medicine The Relevance of Supplemental Vitamin D in Malignancies
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Targeting the Nucleus: An Overview of Auger-Electron Radionuclide Therapy
Current Drug Discovery Technologies Novel Therapies Against Aggressive and Recurrent Epithelial Cancers by Molecular Targeting Tumor- and Metastasis-Initiating Cells and Their Progenies
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Advanced Assessment of the Endogenous Hormone Level as a Potential Biomarker of the Urogenital Tract Cancer
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Novel Approaches Towards Designing of Isoform-Selective Inhibitors Against Class II Histone Deacetylases: The Acute Requirement for Targetted Anticancer Therapy
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Stimulation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Gamma (PPARγ) using Pioglitazone Decreases the Survival of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells through Up-Regulation of PTEN Expression
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Antisense Oligonucleotides as an Innovative Therapeutic Strategy in the Treatment of High-Grade Gliomas
Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery (Discontinued) Strategies to Increase the Oral Bioavailability of Nucleoside Analogs
Current Medicinal Chemistry