AN EMERGING THERAPEUTIC CHEMO-PREVENTIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL NOSCAPINE EXHIBITS EFFICACY AGAINST LUNG CANCER

Aranya Ghosh, Arup Dhar, Sounik Manna and Sujata Maiti Choudhury*

ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization states that cancer is a grave public health issue that impacts millions of people worldwide and claims 9.6 million lives annually. Sadly, low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by this condition. A non-toxic alkaloid noscapine, obtained from opium poppy, is widely used as cough suppressant in humans and its efficacy has been demonstrated against several cancers. Unlike other opium-derived alkaloids, oral noscapine is a safe, efficient antimitotic and antitussive drug that does not make individuals sleepy. Lung cancer is extremely fatal to life and significantly reduces a person's chances of survival. Therapy becomes increasingly difficult and inefficient since, regrettably, most lung cancer cases are not detected until the disease has advanced. A major factor contributing to treatment failure is the development of multi-drug resistance, or the cancer cells heightened resistance to numerous medications and therapies. This major obstacle in the fight against lung cancer highlights the importance of early detection and prevention actions. Noscapine is a potent chemotherapeutic agent that has garnered a lot of interest for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Noscapine's capacity to cause apoptosis in cancer cells by manipulating several key proteins characterizes its intricate method of action. Notably, noscapine has been shown to upregulate the levels of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and caspase-3 while downregulating the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Additionally, noscapine exhibits antiangiogenic properties, which prevent the growth and spread of malignancies by preventing the formation of new blood vessels. These combined properties make noscapine an attractive therapy option for NSCLC and possibly against other malignancies.

Keywords: Lung Cancer, Noscapine, Multi-drug resistance, Apoptosis, Anti-angiogenesis.