Authors: Delmas, Dominique; Lancon, Allan; Colin, Didier; Jannin, Brigitte; Latruffe, Norbert

Source: Current Drug Targets, Volume 7, Number 4, April 2006 , pp. 423-442(20)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Resveratrol (3,4',5 tri-hydroxystilbene) is a phytoalexin produced in hudge amount in grapevine skin in response to infection by Bothrytis cinerea. This production of resveratrol blocks the proliferation of the pathogen, thereby acting as a natural antibiotic.

Numerous studies have reported interesting properties of trans-resveratrol as a preventive agent against important pathologies i.e. vascular diseases, cancers, viral infection or neurodegenerative processes. Moreover, several epidemiological studies have revealed that resveratrol is probably one of the main microcomponents of wine responsible for its health benefits such as prevention of vaso-coronary diseases and cancer.

Resveratrol acts on the process of carcinogenesis by affecting the three phases: tumor initiation, promotion and progression phases and suppresses the final steps of carcinogenesis, i.e. angiogenesis and metastasis. It is also able to activate apoptosis, to arrest the cell cycle or to inhibit kinase pathways. Interestingly, resveratrol does not present any cytotoxicity in animal models. Moreover, concentrations of resveratrol in blood seem to be sufficient for anti-invasive activity. The enterohepatic recirculation may contribute to a delayed elimination of the drug from the body and bring about a prolonged effect. By its binding to plasmatic proteins, resveratrol also exhibits a prolonged effect. Interestingly, low doses of resveratrol can sensitize to low doses of cytotoxic drugs and so provide an innovative strategy to enhance the efficacy of anticancer therapy in various human cancers. By these properties, resveratrol appears to be a good candidate in chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic strategies and is believed to be a novel weapon for new therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Resveratrol; cancer; chemoprevention; sensitization; bioavailability

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138945006776359331

Affiliations: 1: University of Burgundy, Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology (UPRES-EA 2978/GDR-CNRS 2583), 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.

Publication date: 2006-04-01

More about this publication?

• Current Drug Targets aims to cover the latest and most outstanding developments on the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of molecular drug targets e.g. disease specific proteins, receptors, enzymes, genes. Each issue of the journal will be devoted to a single timely topic, with series of in-depth reviews, written by leaders in the field, covering a range of current topics on drug targets. These issues will be organized and led by a guest editor who is a recognized expert in the overall topic. As the discovery, identification, characterisation and validation of novel human drug targets for drug discovery continues to grow; this journal will be essential reading for all pharmaceutical scientists involved in drug discovery and development.

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