Table 2.
Compounds targeting key pathways involved in uterine fibroids pathogenesis
| Compound | Family | Molecular effects | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leuprolide acetate, Goserelin | GnRH agonist | ECM and TGF-β inhibition, tumor shrinkage | (445-448) |
| Ulipristal acetate | SPRM | Apoptosis induction, proliferation inhibition, ECM inhibition | (290) |
| Vitamin D | Natural compound | DNA repair induction, Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibition, TGF-β-induced inhibition of ECM production, anti-inflammatory | (370, 395) |
| EGCG (green tea) | Natural compound | COMT suppression, apoptosis induction, proliferation inhibition | (449, 450) |
| Tranilast | Anti-allergic compound | ECM inhibition, inhibit proliferation, cell cycle arrest, induction of miR-29c and miR-200c expression | (451-453) |
| Curcumin | Natural compound | Inhibition of ECM production, inhibition of UF proliferation, anti-inflammatory effect | (454, 455) |
| 2-methoxyestradiol | Estradiol metabolite | PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition, ECM inhibition | (456) |
| Letrozole | Aromatase inhibitor | Apoptosis induction, inhibition of proliferation | (457) |
| All-trans retinoic acid | Active metabolite of vitamin A | TGF-β-induced inhibition of ECM production | (458) |
| Methyl jasmonate | Natural compound | Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibition, apoptosis induction, inhibition of proliferation | (459) |
| Apicidin | Class I HDAC inhibitor | Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, apoptosis induction, inhibition of proliferation | (320) |
| HDACi VIII | HDAC 6 inhibitor | Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, apoptosis induction, inhibition of proliferation | (320) |
| ICG-001 | β-catenin inhibitor | Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, inhibition of proliferation | (320) |
| Resveratrol | Natural compound | Inhibition of ECM production, apoptosis induction | (460) |
| Collagenase | Proteolytic enzyme | ECM degradation | (431, 461) |
| Simvastatin | Statin drug | ECM, apoptosis, ER-α palmitoylation and degradation | (462-466) |
| Verteporfin | YAP inhibitor | Anti-proliferation, -fibrosis and -mechanotransduction | (461) |
| Nintedanib | YAP inhibitor | Anti-fibrotic effect | (461) |
| 5-Aza | Hypomethylation drug | Fibroid stem cell differentiation and PGR signaling | (467, 468) |
Abbreviations: Akt, protein kinase B; COMT, Catechol-O-methyltransferase; ECM, extracellular matrix; EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate; GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone; HDAC, histone deacetylase; miR, microRNA; mTOR, mechanistic target of rapamycin; PI3K, phosphoinositide 3-kinase; SPRM, selective progesterone receptor modulator; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta; PGR, progesterone receptor; UF, uterine fibroids.