Systems Biology Approaches in Identifying the Targets of Natural Compounds for Cancer Therapy

Natural compounds have been known to exert inhibitory effects on the development and progression of human cancers. However, the targets of these naturally occurring agents are largely elusive. Recently, systems biology approaches based on high-throughput technologies such as DNA microarrays have begun to be utilized for investigating the targets of drugs including natural compounds. Therefore, in this review article, we will briefly introduce the several systems biology approaches, and will discuss the application of these new technologies for identifying the therapeutic targets of natural compounds for supporting their roles in the prevention and/or treatment of human cancers. Furthermore, identification of the novel targets will be useful for designing more effective and targeted therapeutic strategies for achieving better treatment outcome in patients diagnosed with cancers.