Dissecting the mechanistic actions of kaempferol in breast and ovarian cancers: pathway-level insights and translational potential

Abstract

Breast and ovarian cancers represent the major contributors to cancer-related mortality among women globally. To overcome chemoresistance and other mechanisms of therapeutic escape, kaempferol- a dietary flavonoid present in fruits and vegetables- has gained attention for its marked anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities, positioning it as a promising therapeutic candidate. Preclinical studies indicate that kaempferol exerts multiple antitumour effects by promoting ROS generation, inducing DNA damage, upregulating pro-apoptotic and downregulating anti-apoptotic proteins, triggering G2/M phase cell-cycle arrest, inhibiting angiogenesis, suppressing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions, and reversing chemoresistance in both breast and ovarian cancers. When combined with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, kaempferol has shown potential to inhibit tumour growth and progression. However, despite promising preclinical studies, the molecular mechanism underlying it remains incompletely understood, and clinical evidence on its therapeutic efficacy is still limited. This review critically examines the current literature on kaempferol-mediated anticancer mechanisms in breast and ovarian cancers, evaluates its potential role in combination therapy, and outlines the key challenges and future directions required for translating these findings into clinical applications.