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International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article
Recent advances in squamous cell carcinoma therapy: Bridging conventional modalities with phytochemical nanomedicine
Sruthy Mohan and Thangavel M
Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 50-60
Received on: 27/10/2025
Revised on: 19/11/2025
Accepted on: 22/12/2025
Published on: 01/01/2026
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Sruthy Mohan and Thangavel M( 2026).
Recent advances in squamous cell carcinoma therapy: Bridging conventional modalities with phytochemical nanomedicine
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 1), 50-60.
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Abstract
Plant-derived phytochemicals have re-emerged as promising adjuvants and lead compounds in the management of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Over the past decade, extensive preclinical work shows that classes of phytochemicals - including polyphenols (curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin), alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids - reduce SCC cell proliferation and invasion by modulating hallmarks of cancer: they induce apoptosis, cause cell-cycle arrest, suppress pro-survival signalling (EGFR/MAPK/PI3K–Akt), inhibit NF-κB driven inflammation, and impair angiogenesis and metastasis-related pathways. Advances in delivery (nano formulations, liposomes, and polymer conjugates) and combination strategies with standard chemotherapy/radiotherapy have improved phytochemical bioavailability and chemo-sensitization in vitro and in animal models. Translational progress includes metabolomics and molecular-target studies that clarify mechanisms (for example, effects on drug-efflux transporters and redox homeostasis) and several early-phase clinical or clinical-adjacent investigations exploring safety and chemo preventive potential in head-and-neck and cutaneous SCC. Despite promising efficacy signals, major barriers remain: inconsistent extract standardization, low oral bioavailability, limited large-scale clinical trials, and safety/interaction data when combined with conventional treatments. Future research priorities are rigorous standardization, mechanism-driven combination trials, optimized nano delivery systems, and well-designed clinical studies to establish efficacy, dosing, and safety profiles for integration into contemporary SCC care pathways.
Keywords
Nanodelivery, Nanoformulation, Chemoprevention, Clinical trials, Translational studies.
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© The Author(s) 2025. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
