Review article
Plant lectins in cancer prevention and treatment
Jasminka Giacometti
orcid.org/0000-0002-3388-4645
; Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka
Abstract
Plant lectins are specific carbohydrate-binding proteins that are widely distributed in various plant species. They participate in many physiological processes and are capable of modulating the immune response. Recently, greater attention has been drawn to their remarkable anticancer properties. Lectins are associated with cell adhesion, cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. However, some of the questions related to the molecular mechanism / metabolic pathways and biological effects of lectins are still open. New challenges in the research of lectins are related to their application in nanotechnology and development of glycoproteomics. In addition, glycoproteomics is a powerful tool in the characterization of lectins and will be indispensable for development of lectin based drugs in the near future. This review provides a brief outline of the up-to-date advances in the field of plant lectins, focusing on their complex mechanisms implicated in apoptosis and autophagy. The current applications in cancer treatment are also described.
Keywords
anticancer agents; lectins; plant lectins
Hrčak ID:
139439
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2015.
Visits: 4.486 *