Thymoquinone / GSSG Cancer Research Results

TQ, Thymoquinone: Click to Expand ⟱
Features: Anti-oxidant, anti-tumor
Thymoquinone is a bioactive compound found in the seeds of Nigella sativa, commonly known as black seed or black cumin.
Pathways:
-Cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, ROS generation in cancer cells
-inhibit the activation of NF-κB, Suppress the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade
-Inhibit angiogenic factors such as VEGF, MMPs
-Inhibit HDACs, UHRF1, and DNMTs

-Note half-life 3-6hrs.
BioAv low oral bioavailability due to its lipophilic nature. Note refridgeration of Black seed oil improves the stability of TQ.
DIY: ~1 part lecithin : 2–3 parts black seed oil : 4–5 parts warm water. (chat ai)
Pathways:
- usually induce ROS production in Cancer cells, and lowers ROS in normal cells
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, GRP78↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓, Prx,
- May Low AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓(usually contrary), GSH↓ HO1↓(contrary), GPx↓
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : NLRP3↓, IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, VEGF↓, FAK↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, TGF-β↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMTs↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓, Sp proteins↓, TET↑
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, TNF-α↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PDKs↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, α↓, ERK↓, JNK,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Label Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS Driver Upstream cytotoxic trigger Primary studies show TQ rapidly increases ROS; antioxidant/ROS modulation attenuates downstream effects, supporting ROS as an initiating mechanism in multiple cancer contexts (ref)
2 Glutathione (GSH) redox buffering ↓ GSH Driver Redox-collapse amplification Same prostate cancer study reports early GSH depletion alongside ROS rise; together these form a redox “one-two punch” that helps explain selective stress in tumor cells (ref)
3 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) ↓ ΔΨm Driver Mitochondrial dysfunction (MOMP axis) Primary leukemia/cancer study reports disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential after TQ exposure (mitochondrial events central to TQ-mediated death) (ref)
4 Intrinsic apoptosis (caspase-9 → caspase-3; PARP) ↑ caspases / ↑ apoptosis Driver Execution-phase cell death Same primary paper reports activation of caspases (8/9/3) with mitochondrial involvement—core evidence for apoptosis as the major outcome pathway (ref)
5 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activity Secondary Reduced pro-survival / inflammatory transcription Colon cancer work: TQ induces cell death and chemosensitizes cells by inhibiting NF-κB signaling (explicit pathway-direction support) (ref)
6 STAT3 signaling ↓ p-STAT3 / ↓ STAT3 activation Secondary Reduced survival/proliferation signaling Gastric cancer study explicitly reports TQ suppresses constitutive STAT3 activation and related signaling readouts (ref)
7 NRF2 antioxidant-response axis (NRF2/HO-1 program) ↑ NRF2 pathway (often as stress-response) Adaptive Cellular antioxidant counter-response In TNBC context, a primary study reports TQ upregulates NRF2 (and evaluates downstream immune/checkpoint consequences), consistent with NRF2 acting as an adaptive response to redox stress (ref)
8 HIF-1α hypoxia signaling ↓ HIF-1α protein / ↓ HIF-1α program Adaptive Loss of hypoxia survival signaling Renal cancer hypoxia paper identifies TQ as suppressing HIF-1α and links this to selective killing under hypoxia (ref)
9 Glycolysis / Warburg output (hypoxia-linked) ↓ glycolysis (↓ HIF-1α–mediated glycolytic genes; ↓ glycolytic metabolism) Phenotypic Metabolic suppression In hypoxic renal cancer, TQ suppresses HIF-1α–mediated glycolysis; in CRC, TQ inhibits glycolytic metabolism alongside tumor growth limitation (ref)  |  (ref)


GSSG, oxidized glutathione: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
GSSG (oxidized glutathione) is a component of the cellular redox system rather than a protein or signaling molecule produced de novo. Its levels, often evaluated along with its reduced counterpart (GSH), serve as an important index of cellular oxidative stress and redox balance.

– GSSG is generated when glutathione (GSH) neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) by donating electrons; in doing so, GSH is oxidized to GSSG.

– The GSH/GSSG ratio is a sensitive marker of the intracellular redox state. Under conditions of oxidative stress (commonly observed in many cancers), this ratio often shifts toward increased GSSG.

– Elevated GSSG levels (or an increased GSSG/GSH ratio) can indicate that cancer cells are under oxidative stress, which has implications both for cancer progression and for sensitivity to certain treatments.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2134- TQ,    Modulation of Nrf2/HO1 Pathway by Thymoquinone to Exert Protection Against Diazinon-induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*ALAT↓, *AST↓, *MDA↓, *ROS↓, *GSSG↓, *GSH↑, *VitE↑, *VitC↑, *NRF2↑, *HO-1↑, *NQO1↑, *SOD↑, *cardioP↑, *GSH/GSSG↑, *GPx↑,
2124- TQ,    Thymoquinone: an emerging natural drug with a wide range of medical applications
- Review, Var, NA
hepatoP↑, Bax:Bcl2↑, cycD1/CCND1↓, P21↑, TRAIL↑, P53↑, TumCCA↑, hepatoP↑, *ALAT↓, *AST↓, *MDA↓, *GSSG↓, *COX2↓, *lipid-P↓, PPARγ↑, p38↑, ROS↑, ChemoSen↑, selectivity↑, selectivity↑, *MDA↓, *SOD↑,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 2 of 2

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 2

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

ROS↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

PPARγ↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Bax:Bcl2↑, 1,   p38↑, 1,   TRAIL↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

P53↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   P21↑, 1,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

ChemoSen↑, 1,   selectivity↑, 2,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

hepatoP↑, 2,  
Total Targets: 12

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

GPx↑, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   GSH/GSSG↑, 1,   GSSG↓, 2,   HO-1↑, 1,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 3,   NQO1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 2,   VitC↑, 1,   VitE↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

ALAT↓, 2,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

ALAT↓, 2,   AST↓, 2,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 18

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: GSSG, oxidized glutathione
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:162  Target#:1212  State#:%  Dir#:1
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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