Precision Phytotherapy in Oncology: Essential Oils, Molecular Targets, and Advanced Delivery Systems

Despite significant advances in cancer diagnostics and therapeutic interventions, therapeutic resistance remains a persistent and formidable challenge across diverse cancer types. Resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies frequently leads to disease recurrence, metastasis, and poor clinical outcomes. This underscores the urgent need for innovative, multi-targeted strategies to overcome resistance mechanisms and enhance treatment efficacy.

In recent years, essential oils (EOs) and other plant-based natural products have garnered considerable interest in oncology for their ability to modulate key molecular targets and signaling pathways involved in cancer progression and resistance. Derived from medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), these bioactive compounds exhibit diverse anti-cancer properties, including pro-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulatory effects. However, their clinical translation remains constrained due to inherent limitations such as volatility, low aqueous solubility, and poor bioavailability.

To address these challenges, advanced encapsulation technologies, notably nanocarriers and hydrogel-based delivery systems, are being developed to improve the stability, bioavailability, and targeted delivery of essential oils and phytochemicals. These smart delivery platforms facilitate controlled release, enhance tumor-specific accumulation, and offer potential to reduce systemic toxicity while maximizing therapeutic outcomes in resistant tumor microenvironments.

This Research Topic aims to highlight the molecular underpinnings and therapeutic potential of essential oils and natural products in the context of overcoming cancer resistance.

• Modulation of Apoptosis and Autophagy by Essential Oils in Cancer Cells

• Natural Product-Based Inhibition of Key Resistance Pathways (e.g., PI3K/Akt, MAPK, NF-κB)

• Essential Oils Targeting Cancer Stem Cells and Drug Efflux Transporters (e.g., ABC transporters)

• Role of Essential Oils in Modulating Tumor Suppressor Genes and Oncogenes (e.g., p53, Bcl-2)

• Combining Essential Oils with Chemotherapeutics to Reverse Drug Resistance

• Radiotherapy and Essential Oils: Sensitization Strategies and Molecular Insights

• Natural Product-Based Adjuvants in Immunotherapy: Targeting Immune Checkpoints (e.g., PD-L1)

• Phytochemical Synergy: Polyherbal Formulations and Cancer Treatment Outcomes

• In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of Essential Oils in Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Models

• Clinical Evidence of Essential Oil-Based Supportive Care in Oncology: Pain, Fatigue, and QOL Outcomes

• Translational Research: Bridging Preclinical Data to Human Trials with Plant-Based Therapies

• Nanoencapsulation of Essential Oils for Targeted Delivery in Cancer Therapy

• Hydrogels, Liposomes, and Microneedle Patches for Controlled Release of Plant-Derived Anticancer Agents

• Chemoprofiling and Standardization of Anticancer Essential Oils from Medicinal Plants

• Isolation of Novel Bioactive Compounds from Underexplored Aromatic Plants for Cancer Therapy

• AI and In Silico Screening of Essential Oil Compounds for Molecular Target Prediction in Cancer

• Network Pharmacology and Systems Biology Approaches to Natural Compound-Based Therapies

• Toxicological Evaluation and Safety Profiling of Essential Oils in Oncology

• Challenges in Regulatory Approval and Clinical Translation of Natural Anticancer Agents

• Novel approaches using 3D printing or implantable platforms for continuous, site-specific release of natural compounds

***Topic Editors Madhulikaa Bhagat and Shaohui Wang have declared they have no competing interests with relation to this topic theme.




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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Essential oils, natural products, therapeutic resistance, molecular targets, cancer nanomedicine, phytochemicals, integrative oncology, AI in drug discovery, Cancer stem cells, Nanocarriers, hydrogels, Smart drug delivery

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