Natural Compounds as Molecular Modulators of Anticancer Therapy: Mechanistic Insights and Chemosensitization in Female Cancers

Female cancers, including breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial malignancies, continue to pose major clinical challenges due to intrinsic and acquired resistance to conventional chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted agents. Resistance mechanisms often involve alterations in drug efflux, apoptosis evasion, epigenetic reprogramming, and dysregulation of key signaling pathways, all of which limit the long-term efficacy of standard treatments and contribute to disease recurrence. Identifying strategies that restore or enhance tumor sensitivity to therapy, while minimizing toxicity to normal tissue, remains a central goal in oncology research.Natural compounds derived from plants, marine organisms, and other biological sources have attracted growing interest as modulators of cancer cell signaling and chemosensitizing agents. Phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids have demonstrated the ability to influence multiple oncogenic pathways, including those governing proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, and drug transport. When combined with conventional therapeutics, several of these compounds have shown potential to overcome resistance, potentiate cytotoxic effects, and reduce the doses required for therapeutic efficacy. Despite promising preclinical findings, a deeper mechanistic understanding of how natural compounds interact with molecular targets in female cancers, and how these interactions translate into clinically meaningful chemosensitization, is still needed.This Research Topic aims to consolidate current knowledge and highlight new findings on the molecular mechanisms by which natural compounds modulate anticancer therapy in female cancers. We welcome contributions that explore the pharmacological, molecular, and cellular basis of chemosensitization, as well as studies bridging preclinical discovery with translational potential.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:o Mechanistic studies on natural compound modulation of apoptotic, autophagic, and survival signaling pathways in female cancerso Natural compounds as sensitizers to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, or targeted agentso Modulation of drug resistance mechanisms, including efflux transporters, DNA repair pathways, and epigenetic regulatorso Effects of natural compounds on the tumor microenvironment and immune modulation in female cancerso Structure-activity relationships and identification of novel bioactive natural compounds with anticancer potentialo Combination strategies integrating natural compounds with standard-of-care treatmentso Nanoformulation or delivery strategies to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of natural compoundso Preclinical and translational studies evaluating natural compound efficacy and safety in female cancer modelsBy advancing mechanistic understanding of natural compound-based chemosensitization, this Research Topic seeks to support the development of novel adjunct strategies that improve therapeutic outcomes in female cancers.Please note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal. Topic editors: Sandra Rizk, Nadire Özenver, Alessandro Maugeri, Joelle Boulos Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86302/natural-compounds-as-molecular-modulators-of-anticancer-therapy-mechanistic-insights-and-chemosensitization-in-female-cancers