Signaling Pathways in Leukemia: Any Role for Medicinal Plants in Leukemia Therapy

Leukemia is a cancer of the early blood-forming cells. Most often, leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, but some leukemias start in other blood cell types. Scientists in the U.S. believe they have identified a new pathway in the progression of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). They have also discovered that an extract from the root of a common ornamental plant can suppress the process. Drug discovery from natural sources involve a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, biological, and molecular techniques. Accordingly, medicinal-plant-based drug discovery still remains an important area, hitherto unexplored, where a systematic search may definitely provide important leads against various pharmacological targets. Ironically, the potential benefits of plant-based medicines have led to unscientific exploitation of the natural resources, a phenomenon that is being observed globally. This decline in biodiversity is largely the result of the rise in the global population, rapid and sometimes unplanned industrialization, indiscriminate deforestation, and overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and finally global climate change. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that plant biodiversity be preserved, to provide future structural diversity and lead compounds for the sustainable development of human civilization at large. This becomes even more important for developing nations, where well-planned bioprospecting coupled with nondestructive commercialization could help in the conservation of biodiversity, ultimately benefiting mankind in the long run. Based on these findings, the present review is an attempt to update our knowledge about the role of signaling pathways and medicinal plants in Leukemia therapy.