Anticancer Effects of Cepharanthine: An Updated Minireview

Cepharanthine (CEP) is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid with significant anticancer properties, as highlighted in this review. It induces cancer cell death through intrinsic mitochondrial pathways, extrinsic death receptor signaling, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. CEP also halts cell proliferation by causing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and G2/M phases and inhibits tumor progression by suppressing metastasis, invasion, and angiogenesis. It modulates key oncogenic signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-B, JAK2/STAT3, and MAPK, and regulates oxidative stress in cancer cells. Additionally, CEP can reverse multidrug resistance by inhibiting drug efflux transporters, enhancing the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapies. This review underscores CEP's potential as a promising natural compound for further cancer therapy research.