Vaishnavi J. Mahendran, Andrea M. Stringer, Susan J. Semple, Yunmei Song and Sanjay Garg* Pages 1518 - 1532 ( 15 )
Mucositis is a side effect associated with the use of chemotherapy, and has a significant impact on the quality of life. Mucositis, by definition, refers to the inflammation of the mucosa and occurs throughout the alimentary tract from the mouth to anus. Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFκB) encompasses a family of transcription factors, which upregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. These are recognized as key targets in developing therapeutic interventions for chemotherapy-induced mucositis, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibition may also be beneficial in reducing the severity and duration. This review focuses on the pathobiology of chemotherapy-induced oral and gastrointestinal mucositis and recent research examining the role of agents with anti-inflammatory activity in treatment and prevention of the condition. We consider agents in clinical use as well as some others under current investigation including plant-derived and other natural medicines.
Mucositis, chemotherapy, gastrointestinal, inflammation, anti-inflammatory, natural agents.
School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide