Cardiac glycosides (CGs) are natural steroid compounds occurring both in plants and animals. They are known for long as cardiotonic agents commonly used for various cardiac diseases due to inhibition of Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) pumping activity and modulating heart muscle contractility. However, recent studies show that the portfolio of diseases potentially treatable with CGs is much broader. Currently, CGs are mostly studied as anticancer agents. Their antiproliferative properties are based on the induction of multiple signaling pathways in an NKA signalosome complex. In addition, they are strongly connected to immunogenic cell death, a complex mechanism of induction of anticancer immune response. Moreover, CGs exert various immunomodulatory effects, the foremost of which are connected with suppressing the activity of T-helper cells or modulating transcription of many immune response genes by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B. The resulting modulations of cytokine and chemokine levels and changes in immune cell ratios could be potentially useful in treating sundry autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. This review aims to summarize current knowledge in the field of immunomodulatory properties of CGs and emphasize the large area of potential clinical use of these compounds.

• Keywords
• NKA signalosome, Th17, anticancer compounds, calreticulin, cardiac steroids, immunogenic cell death, inflammation, interleukin 17, retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ thymus, sodium-potassium ATPase,
• MeSH
• Cytokines metabolism   MeSH
• Immunologic Factors pharmacology   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Neoplasms drug therapy   immunology   MeSH
• Cell Proliferation drug effects   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents pharmacology   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic drug effects   MeSH
• Signal Transduction drug effects   MeSH
• Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase metabolism   MeSH
• Cardiac Glycosides pharmacology   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Cytokines MeSH
• Immunologic Factors MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents MeSH
• Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase MeSH
• Cardiac Glycosides MeSH