Omics-Based Biomarkers for Predicting Chemopreventive Response to Herbal Formulations

Abstract

Cancer chemoprevention using herbal formulations represents a potentially valuable yet underutilized strategy for reducing cancer incidence and mortality. Despite substantial preclinical and epidemiological evidence supporting the anticancer potential of plant-derived compounds, clinical translation has been limited by pronounced inter-individual variability and the absence of validated biomarkers capable of predicting chemopreventive response. Recent advances in omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, and microbiomics, enable systems-level characterization of the complex, multi-target mechanisms that typify herbal agents and provide new opportunities for biomarker discovery.

This review critically evaluates current evidence on omics-based biomarkers relevant to herbal cancer chemoprevention, emphasizing mechanistic insights, analytical approaches, and translational limitations. Molecular signatures associated with representative polyphenolic compounds, including curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, resveratrol, quercetin, and emodin, are discussed across multiple omics layers. Emerging strategies for multi-omics integration, including network-based and machine-learning approaches, are examined alongside challenges related to reproducibility, standardization, and clinical generalizability. Key barriers to implementation, including formulation heterogeneity, limited prospective human studies, and gaps in regulatory qualification, are highlighted. Integration of omics technologies with evidence-based herbal medicine, often termed herbogenomics, may inform precision prevention strategies, contingent upon rigorous validation and harmonized regulatory frameworks.