Resveratrol Augments Doxorubicin and Cisplatin Chemotherapy: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy

Background: The treatment of cancer is a current challenge for public health, causing high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Doxorubicin (DOX) and cisplatin (CP) are two well-known chemotherapeutic agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat cancer patients. However, there are two problems associated with DOX and CP: drug resistance and adverse impact. Resveratrol (Res) belongs to the stilbene class and possesses various health-promoting effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects.

Objective: The present review aims to give special attention to the therapeutic impacts of Res in potentiating DOX and CP's antitumor activities and reducing their side effects.

Methods: PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were used to search articles for the current manuscripts.

Results: Co-administration of Res can prevent chemoresistance and potentiate the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. Res can enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to DOX and CP chemotherapy by inhibiting the migration and metastasis of cancer cells. Simultaneously, Res, due to its therapeutic actions ameliorates the adverse impacts of DOX and CP on normal cells and organs, including the liver, kidney, brain, and testes. As Res suffers from poor bioavailability, nanoformulations have been developed with promising results to improve its antitumor activity and protective effects.

Conclusion: Based on preclinical studies, it is obvious that Res is a promising adjsuvant for CP and DOX chemotherapy, and its benefits can be utilized in the clinical course.