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 around the world. Doxorubicin (DOX) and cisplatin (CP) are two well-known chemotherapeutic agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer patients. However, there are two problems associated with DOX and CP, namely, drug resistance and adverse impact. Resveratrol (Res) belongs to the stilbene class and possesses a variety of health-promoting effects, such as antioxidant, an-ti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. Objective: The aim of the present review is to give special attention towards the therapeutic impacts of Res in potentiating DOX and CP’s antitumor activities as well as 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 as well as cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. Res can enhance the sensitivity of can-cer cells to DOX and CP chemotherapy, via inhibiting the migration and metastasis of cancer cells. Simultaneously, Res, owing 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, to improve its antitumor activity and protective effects, nanoformulations have been developed with promising results. Conclusion: Conclusion: Based on preclinical studies, it is obvious that Res is a promising adjuvant for CP and DOX chemotherapy and its benefits can be utilized in the clinical course.