Lunasin: A promising polypeptide for the prevention and treatment of cancer (Review)

Strategies for the treatment of cancer remain unsatisfactory due to the poor understanding of the complicated underlying molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. A number of types of cancer exhibit a marked association with dietary habits and lifestyles. Therefore, the modulation of dietary habits or lifestyles may be an effective strategy for preventing the formation and progression of cancer. Proteins and polypeptides from soybean have been developed as healthcare products due to their marked activity in inhibiting the progression of cancer at various stages. Lunasin, containing 43 amino acid residues, is one such example of a soybean-derived polypeptide that has been demonstrated to exhibit marked anti-cancer activity. In the present review, studies of the underlying molecular mechanisms and potential advantages of lunasin in the prevention and treatment of cancer have been examined, to provide a theoretical reference for the development of natural product-based agents or healthcare products for the prevention and treatment of cancer.