Table 1.

Summary of the application of AIFCM in cancer combination therapy.

Combination therapy	Chinese medicine	Active ingredients	Specific mechanism	Reference
Chemotherapy	Curcuma longa	Curcumin	Inhibition of tumor proliferation; downregulation of BCRP, IAP family, Bcl-2, NF-κB, AP-1, integrin αvβ3, c-FLIP; ROS promotion; reduction of the Smad2 phosphorylation and β-catenin level via TGF-β and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, reverse EMT; inhibition of both non-CSCs and CSCs, mammosphere formation	27, 78, 85, 87, 93, 111, 120
Chemotherapy	Pueraria lobata, Vietnamese Sophora Root and Net Cliffbean	Genistein	Shifting the balance of Bax/Bcl-2 proteins, increasing the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9	31
Chemotherapy	Scutellaria baicalensis	Baicalein	Increasing the expression of p53, inducing imbalance in Bax/Bcl-2, increasing levels of caspase-3, caspase-9 and PARP-1	33
Chemotherapy	Radix stephania tetrandrae	Tetrandrine	Increasing Bim and decreasing Mcl-1, promoting ROS production and caspase-induced apoptosis; suppressing P-gp activity; inactivating the WNT/β-catenin pathway, inhibiting EMT	35, 68, 112
Chemotherapy	Coptis chinensis	Berberine	Inducing G0/G1-phase blockade	40
Chemotherapy	Tripterygium wilfordii	Triptolide	Decreasing cyclin D1 and cyclin expression, inducing cell cycle arrest; anti-angiogenic effect mediated by VEGFR-2 inhibition	41, 118
Chemotherapy	Rhizoma zeodaria	β-elemene	Inducing cell cycle arrest, increasing CHK2 and reducing CDC2 activity	42
Chemotherapy	Taxus brevifolia	Paclitaxel	Promoting the polymerization of tubulin, blocking cell cycle at the G2/M phase	46
Chemotherapy	Catharanthus roseus	Vincristine	Disrupt tubulin polymerization, inducing cell cycle arrest at M phase	49
Chemotherapy	Camptotheca acuminata	Camptothecin	Topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitor, inhibiting DNA synthesis	51
Chemotherapy	Arsenolite	Arsenic trioxide	Inhibiting PARP-1 activity, preventing DNA damage repair	54
Chemotherapy	Sophora flavescens	Matrine	Suppressing PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, MRP1 and P-gp down-regulation, autophagy induction	69
Chemotherapy	Rhizoma polygoni cuspidati	Resveratrol	MRP1 and P-gp down-regulation	75
Chemotherapy	Corydalis yanhusuo	Glaucine	Binding to the substrate site of MRP1 and P-gp for competitive inhibition	77
Chemotherapy	Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea caerulea	Nuciferine	Inhibiting Nrf2 and HIF-1α via PI3K/AKT pathway, down-regulating the P-gp and BCRP levels	79
Chemotherapy	Andrographis paniculata	Andrographolide	Preventing Bax degradation, facilitating apoptosis; VEGF, VEGF-R2 and CD31 down-regulation	83, 116
Chemotherapy	Ginseng	Ginsenoside	Inhibiting hypoxia-induced EMT and stemness	91
Chemotherapy	Bupleurum	Quercetin	Decreasing the levels of IL‐8, IL‐6, and VEGF	96
Gene Therapy	Camellia sinensis	Epigallocatechin gallate	siRNA carriers	131
Gene Therapy	Garcinia hanburyi	Gambogic acid	InducING cell apoptosis	132
Gene Therapy	Curcuma longa	Curcumin	STAT3 inhibition, tumor growth suppression; gap junction proteins up-regulation, GJIC improvement	134 135
Gene Therapy	Rhizoma polygoni cuspidati	Resveratrol	Elevating the transactivation of p53 activity; up-regulating the gap junction proteins and improving GJIC	133 136
PTT	Toad Venom	Gamabufotalin	Inhibiting COX-2/PGE2 pathway, down-regulating the level of TNF-α and IL-6, and suppressing the PTT-induced inflammatory response	148
PTT	Bupleurum	Quercetin	HSP70 inhibitor	150
PTT	Garcinia hanburyi	Gambogic acid	HSP90 inhibitor	149
PDT	Curcuma longa	Curcumin	Antitumor cytotoxicity	162
PDT	Artemisia annua	Artemisinin	Promoting ROS generation, antitumor cytotoxicity	165
PTT/PDT	Taxus brevifolia	Paclitaxel	Antitumor cytotoxicity	145, 171
PTT/PDT	Camptotheca acuminata	Camptothecin	Antitumor cytotoxicity; reducing the hypoxia-responsive HIF-1α expression and normalizing the tumor vasculature, overcoming the PDT resistance; DNA topoisomerase-I inhibition	147, 153, 161, 163, 164, 167, 169
PTT/PDT	Artemisinin derivatives	Artesunate	Antitumor cytotoxicity	155, 170
Radiotherapy	Arsenolite	Arsenic trioxide	Inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway and activating ERK1/2 pathway, inducing cell cycle arrest and autophagy	184
Radiotherapy	Garcinia hanburyi	Gambogic acid	Inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway and increasing ROS level, inducing autophagy	185
Radiotherapy	Artemisinin derivatives	Artesunate	Radiosensitization effect, decreasing survivin expression, increasing DNA damage response	188
Radiotherapy	Camellia sinensis	Epigallocatechin gallate	Radiosensitization effect, inducing apoptosis via miR-34a/Sirt1/p53 signaling pathway; attenuating angiogenesis	189, 193
Radiotherapy	Coptis chinensis	Berberine	Inhibiting the expression of HIF-1 and VEGF, reversing radioresistance	190
Radiotherapy	Magnolia	Honokiol	Suppressing the Notch signaling pathway, inhibiting radiation resistance and CSCs promotion	191
Radiotherapy	Rhizoma zeodaria	β-elemene	Radiosensitization effect, suppressing the Prx-1/NF-kB /iNOS pathway, inhibiting EMT and CSC	192
Radiotherapy	Radix stephania tetrandrae	Tetrandrine	Reducing the inflammatory factors, alleviating inflammation	194
Immunotherapy	Rhizoma polygoni cuspidati	Pigenin	Down-regulation of p-EGFR, p-Akt, p-STAT3 and Cyclin D1, promotion of antibody-mediated cytotoxicity and apoptosis	207
Immunotherapy	Garcinia hanburyi	Gambogic acid	Promoting antibody-mediated cytotoxicity	208
Immunotherapy	Rhizoma polygoni cuspidati	Resveratrol	Sensitizing CIK-mediated cytolysis by enhancing the expression of NKG2D ligands and activating the TRAIL pathway; suppressing the expression of PD-1	210, 219
Immunotherapy	Taxus brevifolia	Paclitaxel	Remodeling the immunosuppressive TME and increasing tumor immunogenicity; inducing immunogenic cell death, increasing the infiltration and activation of T cell and DCs	211, 223
Immunotherapy	Astragalus membranaceus	Astragaloside III	Promoting the activation of NK cells and the release of IFN-γ	159
Immunotherapy	Camellia sinensis	Epigallocatechin gallate	Promoting DC maturation, enhancing the anticancer immune response	214
Immunotherapy	Curcuma longa	Curcumin	Modulating the immunosuppressive TME, reducing MDSCs, Tregs and immunosuppressive factor levels, increasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suppressing STAT3 pathways; suppressing CTLA-4 expression, inhibiting Tregs activity	216, 221, 222
Immunotherapy	Tripterygium wilfordii	Triptolide	Down-regulating PD-L1 expression, inhibiting Jak2/STAT1 pathway	220