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Natural Products Targeting Key Molecular Hallmarks in Gastric Cancer: Focus on Apoptosis, Inflammation, and Chemoresistance

2026 , Simancas Racines, Daniel , Cagua Ordoñez, Jaen , Angamarca Iguago, Jaime , Parise Vasco, Juan Marcos , Reytor González, Claudia

Natural products have emerged as promising multi-target agents for addressing the complex biology of gastric cancer, a malignancy characterized by marked molecular heterogeneity, late clinical presentation, and frequent resistance to systemic therapies. This narrative synthesis integrates primarily preclinical evidence, with emerging clinical data, on how naturally derived compounds modulate three central molecular processes that drive gastric tumor progression and therapeutic failure: evasion of programmed cell death, persistent tumor-promoting inflammation, and chemoresistance. Compounds such as curcumin, resveratrol, berberine, ginsenosides, quercetin, and epigallocatechin gallate restore apoptotic competence by shifting the balance between pro-survival and pro-death proteins, destabilizing mitochondrial membranes, promoting cytochrome c release, and activating caspase-dependent pathways. These agents also exert potent anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B and signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine production, reducing cyclooxygenase activity, and modulating the tumor microenvironment through changes in immune cell behavior. In parallel, multiple natural compounds function as chemo-sensitizers by inhibiting drug efflux transporters, reversing epithelial–mesenchymal transition, attenuating cancer stem cell-associated traits, and suppressing pro-survival signaling pathways that sustain resistance. Collectively, these mechanistic actions highlight the capacity of natural products to simultaneously target interconnected hallmarks of gastric cancer biology. Ongoing advances in formulation strategies may help overcome pharmacokinetic limitations; however, rigorous biomarker-guided studies and well-designed clinical trials remain essential to define the translational relevance of these compounds.

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Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, and Cancer Risk: Nutritional Perspectives and Long-Term Clinical Implications

2026 , Reytor González, Claudia , Gerardo Sarno , Martha Montalvan , Ludovica Verde , Giuseppe Annunziata , Luigi Barrea , Giovanna Muscogiuri , Simancas Racines, Daniel

Obesity is recognized as a causal risk factor for the development of multiple cancers, with risk magnitude varying by tumor site, sex, life stage, and adipose tissue distribution. This narrative review synthesizes recent epidemiological evidence linking excess body fatness with cancer incidence and mortality and integrates the biological mechanisms that explain this association. Chronic low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance with compensatory hyperinsulinemia, dysregulation of adipose-derived hormones and sex steroids, impairment of anti-tumor immune responses, alterations in the gut microbiota, and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment collectively create conditions that favor tumor initiation and progression. Bariatric surgery is the most effective clinical intervention for achieving substantial and sustained weight loss in individuals with severe obesity, and growing evidence indicates that it is associated with a reduction in overall cancer risk and cancer-related mortality, particularly for malignancies strongly linked to obesity. However, the extent of this benefit differs by surgical technique and remains less consistent for colorectal cancer. Beyond metabolic improvements, bariatric surgery produces long-term changes in nutritional physiology that may also influence oncologic outcomes. Persistent deficiencies of micronutrients such as iron, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and calcium can affect DNA synthesis, methylation, oxidative balance, and cellular repair. Altered protein and energy intake may contribute to loss of lean mass and reduced metabolic resilience, while changes in alcohol absorption and metabolism can increase systemic exposure to ethanol and its carcinogenic metabolites. In addition, bariatric surgery induces sustained remodeling of the gut microbiome and bile acid metabolism, which may further modulate tumorigenic signaling. Overall, the oncological impact of bariatric surgery reflects a balance between metabolic improvement and long-term nutritional management, underscoring the need for structured follow-up and targeted nutritional strategies to optimize cancer risk reduction.