Emodin / CSCs Cancer Research Results

EMD, Emodin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Organic compound isolated from rhubarb, buckthorn, knotweed. It has laxative, anticancer, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, and antiviral activities, and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Emodin, an anthraquinone derivative found in various plants (e.g., rhubarb, Polygonum cuspidatum).

Pathways:
- Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
- Upregulation Bax downregulation of Bcl‑2, caspase activation and cyt_c release.
- Induce cell cycle arrest at various checkpoints (commonly G0/G1 or G2/M phases.
- Can inhibit NF‑κB activation
– MAPK Pathways
– PI3K/Akt Pathway
- Metalloproteinases (MMPs)

-ic50 cancer cells 10-50uM, normal cells higher(supports a therapeutic window)

Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Label Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS Driver Upstream cytotoxic trigger Emodin induces ROS in cancer cells; ROS increase is positioned upstream of mitochondrial dysfunction and death signaling. (ref)
2 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) ↓ ΔΨm Driver Mitochondrial dysfunction Emodin decreases mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), consistent with mitochondria-dependent killing. (ref)
3 Intrinsic apoptosis (caspase cascade) ↑ apoptosis (↑ caspases / ↑ PARP cleavage) Driver Execution-phase cell death Emodin activates caspase-dependent apoptosis with mitochondrial involvement in colon cancer models. (ref)
4 AMPK → AKT/mTOR axis ↑ AMPK / ↓ AKT-mTOR signaling Secondary Growth/metabolic suppression NSCLC study reports AMPK activation with inhibition of AKT/mTOR alongside apoptosis and ROS increase (consistent directionality). (ref)
5 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation (↓ p65 nuclear translocation; ↓ IκBα phosphorylation/degradation) Secondary Reduced pro-survival/inflammatory transcription Emodin inhibits TNF-α–induced NF-κB activation by blocking IκBα phosphorylation/degradation and p65 nuclear activity. (ref)
6 STAT3 signaling ↓ STAT3 activation (↓ phosphorylation) Secondary Reduced survival/proliferation signaling HCC study shows emodin suppresses STAT3 activation (and discusses upstream kinase modulation), supporting directionality as STAT3↓. (ref)
7 HIF-1α hypoxia program ↓ HIF-1α (↓ biosynthesis; not via transcription/stability) Adaptive Reduced hypoxia tolerance Pancreatic cancer study: emodin decreases HIF-1α by decreasing biosynthesis (explicit mechanism stated). (ref)
8 Aerobic glycolysis (Warburg output) ↓ glycolysis (↓ ECAR / ↓ glycolytic dependence) Phenotypic Metabolic suppression Renal cancer paper reports emodin inhibits aerobic glycolysis (and links killing to a non-apoptotic death mode in that model). (ref)
9 HDAC inhibition (epigenetic enzyme activity) ↓ HDAC activity Secondary Epigenetic modulation Direct biochemical evidence: emodin inhibits HDAC activity in vitro (fast-on/slow-off kinetics reported). (ref)
10 NRF2 / HO-1 antioxidant response ↑ NRF2 / ↑ HO-1 (context-dependent stress response) Adaptive Counter-response to redox stress HCC model reports emodin increases NRF2 and HO-1 expression; interpret as adaptive/compensatory (not necessarily the cytotoxic driver). (ref)


CSCs, Cancer Stem Cells: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Cancer Stem Cells

Phytochemicals (natural plant-derived compounds) that may affect CSCs:
Curcumin
— suppresses self-renewal and pathways (Wnt/Notch/Hedgehog).
Resveratrol
— shown to reduce CSC populations and sphere formation in multiple models.
Sulforaphane (from broccoli sprouts)
— reported to inhibit CSC properties and pathways; active in vitro and in vivo.
EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate, green tea)
— reduces CSC markers and sphere formation in several cancer types.
Quercetin
— reported to inhibit CSC proliferation, self-renewal and invasiveness (breast, endometrial, others).
Berberine
— shown to suppress CSC “stemness” and reduce tumorigenic properties in multiple models.
Genistein (soy isoflavone)
— decreases CSC markers, sphere formation and stemness signaling in prostate/breast/other models.
Honokiol (Magnolia bark)
— shown to eliminate or suppress CSC-like populations in oral, colon, glioma models.
Luteolin
— inhibits stemness/EMT and reduces CSC markers and self-renewal in breast, prostate and other models.
Withaferin A (from Withania somnifera / ashwagandha)
— multiple preclinical reports show WA targets CSCs and reduces tumor growth/metastasis in models.

Circadian disruption in cancer and regulation of cancer stem cells by circadian clock genes: An updated review
Potential Role of the Circadian Clock in the Regulation of Cancer Stem Cells and Cancer Therapy
Can we utilise the circadian clock to target cancer stem cells?
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
1247- EMD,    Emodin exerts antitumor effects in ovarian cancer cell lines by preventing the development of cancer stem cells via epithelial mesenchymal transition
- vitro+vivo, Ovarian, SKOV3 - in-vitro, Ovarian, A2780S
TumCP↓, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, EMT↓, N-cadherin↓, Vim↓, E-cadherin↑, TumCG↓, CD133↓, OCT4↓, CSCs↓,
1246- EMD,    Emodin reduces Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis by suppressing Macrophage-induced Breast Cancer Cell Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and Cancer Stem Cell formation
- in-vivo, BC, NA
TGF-β↓, EMT↓, CSCs↓,

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:


Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

CD133↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 2,   EMT↓, 2,   OCT4↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

E-cadherin↑, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   TGF-β↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,   Vim↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 12

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: CSCs, Cancer Stem Cells
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#:75  Target#:795  State#:%  Dir#:1
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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