A review on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity: Focusing on recent advances in natural remedies

Background: Despite the efficiency, many side effects have been reported for cisplatin, which is a well-known anti-cancer agent. Among them we can point to ototoxicity, which seriously reduces the quality of life in cisplatin-receiving patients. Since the approach of using natural ingredients in clinic has been growing in recent years, herein, we intend to gather delegated documentations of the presented scientific reports regarding various aspects of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity (CIO) focusing on some effective natural remedies. Methods: Well-known scientific databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed were employed to search the target keywords. Then, to prepare the literature, the selected contents were reviewed, analyzed, and modified at several stages. Results: Recent studies have shown that the prevalence of CIO is very high and most cisplatin-receiving patients suffer from this complication to a certain degree. Along with other underlying factors, the roles for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic factors have been found very significant in forming the process of CIO. In order to alleviate the complication, various pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments have been introduced and suggested. Particularly, special attention has been paid to natural products in recent decades. In this regard, many of these compounds were found efficacious and safe. Conclusion: This review showed that, many natural products are able to attenuate CIO through various mechanisms, among which anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic pathways would be the most important ones. Therefore, as a novel pharmacological approach, they have the potential to be focused in future mechanistic studies.