Progress in molecularly targeted anti-tumor drugs derived from natural products or their derivatives

Conventional chemotherapy drugs, molecularly targeted drugs, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are the major constituents of anti-tumor drugs in clinical settings at present. Molecularly targeted drugs specifically target the key proteins, genes, or signal transduction pathways in tumor cells which are essential for initiation and development of tumor, resulting in selective activity to induce cell death or growth inhibition. Molecularly targeted drugs have emerged as the mainstream in the research and development of anti-tumor drugs due to its high selectivity and low toxicity. Natural products refer to the chemical constituents or metabolites originated animals, plants, or microorganisms, which have been recognized as one of the important sources of drug discovery with abundant resources and diversified structures. At present, a number of molecularly targeted anti-tumor drugs derived from natural products or their derivatives have been approved for cancer therapy or in clinical trials. This review will summarize the molecularly targeted anti-tumor drugs derived from natural products or their derivatives according to their different cellular targets, and also outline the molecular mechanism, progress, and perspectives of these drugs.