Natural product research is a cornerstone of the architectural framework of clinical medicine.
Berbamine is a natural, potent, pharmacologically active biomolecule isolated from Berberis amurensis.
Berbamine has been shown to modulate different oncogenic cell-signaling pathways in different
cancers. In this review, we comprehensively analyze how
berbamine modulates deregulated pathways (JAK/STAT,
CAMKII/c-Myc) in various
cancers. We systematically analyze how
berbamine induces activation of the TGF/SMAD pathway for the effective inhibition of
cancer progression. We also summarize different nanotechnological strategies currently being used for proficient delivery of
berbamine to the target sites.
Berbamine has also been reported to demonstrate potent anti-
cancer and anti-metastatic effects in
tumor-bearing mice. The regulation of non-coding RNAs by
berbamine is insufficiently studied, and future studies must converge on the identification of target non-coding RNAs. A better understanding of the regulatory role of
berbamine in the modulation of non-coding RNAs and cell-signaling pathways will be advantageous in the effective translation of laboratory findings to clinically effective
therapeutics.