%0 Journal Article %T Advances in Smoothened-targeting therapies for pancreatic cancer: implication for drug discovery from herbal medicines %A Jin-bin Han %J Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao %D 2012 %I %X ABSTRACT: Smoothened (SMO) is a member of sonic hedgehog homology (SHH) signaling pathway. It plays a key role as a bridge between patched-1 (PTCH-1) and Gli. Aberrant SHH expression can be detected in various malignant tissues, and the expression in pancreatic cancer stem cells is higher apparently. SHH signals are closely associated with self-duplication of cancer stem cells, formation of tumor vessels as well as matrixes. SMO antagonists such as cyclopamine, GDC-0449 and so on show potential to inhibit activity of SHH signaling, and arrest the growth as well as metastases of tumors. Recently, a few of SMO antagonists have been studied in phase Άρ clinical trials and some are in phase Άς, meanwhile, phase Άρ or Άς trials of SMO antagonists to treat pancreatic cancer are performed currently. As the classical SMO antagonist, cyclopamine is extracted from a medicinal plant. Perhaps researchers may be able to determine more effective SMO-targeting drugs from herbal medicines in the future. %K pancreatic neoplasms %K neoplastic stem cells %K smoothened %K hedgehog proteins %K signal transduction %K plants %K medicinal %K review %U http://www.jcimjournal.com/en/FullText2.aspx?articleID=jcim20120303