Although current therapeutic methods against hematological malignancies are effective in the early stage

they usually lose their effectiveness because of the development of drug resistances. Seeking new drugs with significant therapeutic effects is one of the current research hotspots. Artemisinin

an extract from the plant

Artemisia annua

Linne

and its derivatives have excellent antimalarial effects in clinical applications as well as excellent safety. Recent studies have documented that artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) also have significant effects against multiple types of tumours

including hematological malignancies. This review focuses on the latest research achievements of ARTs in the treatment of hematological malignancies as well as its mechanisms and future applications. The mechanisms of ARTs against different types of hematological malignancies mainly include cell cycle arrest

induction autophagy and apoptosis

inhibition of angiogenesis

production of reactive oxygen species

and induction of differentiation. Additionally

the review also summarizes the anticancer effects of ARTs in many drug-resistant hematological malignancies and its synergistic effects with other drugs.