The Anticancer Potential of Apigenin via Immunoregulation.

Apigenin is an edible flavonoid widely distributed in natural plants including most vegetables and fruits. Previous studies have revealed that apigenin possesses multiple biological functions by demonstrating anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-tumor and cardiovascular protective effects. Furthermore, recent progressions have disclosed a novel perspective of the anticancer roles of apigenin through its immunoregulatory functions. With the rapid progression of the groundbreaking strategies being developed for cancer immunotherapy, its immunoregulatory roles have become to be recognized as an intriguing feature of the multifaceted apigenin. However, our current understanding about this emerging role of apigenin still remains limited. Therefore, in the present review, we summarize recent advances on the immunoregulatory properties of apigenin in various diseases with a special focus on neoplasm. We briefly introduce clinical strategies of cancer immunotherapy and bring together findings on apigenin linked to immunoregulatory roles in immunotherapy-associated aspects. We discuss about the bioactivity, bioavailability, toxicity, and potential of apigenin to be considered as a therapeutic agent in antitumor immunotherapy. We summarize disclosed molecular mechanisms underlying the immunoregulatory roles of apigenin in cancer immunotherapy. Based on findings from the literature, apigenin has the potential to serve as a prospective adjuvant for anticancer immunotherapy and warrants further investigations.