Cryptotanshinone (IUPAC name: (R)-1,2,6,7,8,9-hexahydro-1,6,6-trimethyl-phenanthro(1,2-b)furan-10,11-dione), a biologically active constituent extracted from the roots and rhizomes of the plant Salvia miltiorrhiza, has been studied in depth as a medicinally active compound and shown to have efficacy in the treatment of numerous diseases and disorders. In this review, we describe in detail the current status of cryptotanshinone research, including findings relating to the structure, pharmacokinetics, pharmacological activity, and derivatives of this compound. Cryptotanshinoneh as a diverse range of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immune regulatory, neuroprotective, and anti-fibrosis activities. Studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying the activities of cryptotanshinone have established that the JAK2/STAT3, PI3K/AKT, NF-κB, AMPK, and cell cycle pathways are involved in the inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects of cryptotanshinone on different tumor cell lines, these molecular pathways interact in a coordinated manner to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion,and induce transformation, autophagy, necrosis, and cellular immunity. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of cryptotanshinone have been found to be associated with the TLR4-MyD88/PI3K/Nrf2 and TLR4-MyD88/NF-κB/MAPK pathways, whereasthe Hedgehog, NF-κB, and Nrf-2/HO-1 pathways are regulated by cryptotanshinone to reduce organ fibrosis, and its inhibitory effects on the PI3K/AKT-eNOS pathway have been linked to neuroprotective effects. Given the potential medicinal utility of cryptotanshinone, further research is needed to verify the efficacy and safety of this compound in clinical use, evaluate its pharmacological activity, and identify molecular targets.

Previous studies have suggested a potential association between fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and breast cancer (BC), but the evidence for the relationship between specific FGFs with BC is limited and controversial. To explore the interactions between 13 FGFs and 3 fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) with BC and its subtypes (ER+ and ER−), we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on genome-wide association study summary statistics of European ancestry. Several techniques were used to ensure the stability of the causal effect, such as inverse-variance weighting, weighted median, MR-Egger regression, and Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier. Heterogeneity was assessed by calculating the Cochran’s Q value. The inverse-variance weighting analysis showed that for overall BC, FGF20 showed a genetically protective effect (odds ratio [OR] 0.996, 95% CI: 0.993–1.000, P =  .027), FGF4 can genetically promote the risk of BC (OR 1.004, 95% CI: 1.001–1.007, P =  .013). FGF1 (OR 1.055, 95% CI: 1.005–1.107, P =  .029) and FGF7 (OR 1.068, 95% CI: 1.007–1.133, P =  .028) were consistently associated with increased risk of ER+ BC, however FGF20 (OR 0.959, 95% CI: 0.920–0.999, P = .046) decreased the risk of ER+ BC. FGF23 (OR 1.077, 95% CI: 1.003–1.158, P =  .042) promote the risk of ER− BC. In the reverse MR study, ER+ BC tended to exhibit elevated levels of FGF7 (OR 1.072, 95% CI: 1.004–1.144, P = .037) and decreased levels of FGFR2 (OR 0.930, 95% CI: 0.872–0.992, P = .027). Our study results indicate that only specific types of FGFs and FGFRs may have a causal relationship with BC. Th research provides a new perspective on the mechanisms of action of different types of FGFs and FGFRs in BC, and offers potential genetic support for personalized medicine and precision therapy.