Protection against cancer with medicinal herbs via activation of tumor suppressor

Cancer remains a major cause of death,although research is ongoing for the development of more effective drugs. some herbs have shown potential in preventing the occurrence and/or progression of cancer and other chronic diseases. they are being screened comprehensively to explore the possibility of development of feasible anticancer drugs. however,more information is required about the response to and the molecular target for specific herbs. it seems that there is a relationship between some medicinal herbs and tumor suppressor molecules which protect a cell from cancer. in this paper,we summarize the progress of recent research on herbs,with a particular focus on its anticancer role and molecular mechanisms underlying the cancer prevention property,supporting design for further research in this field. © 2012 yasuko kitagishi et al.