Honokiol / RAS Cancer Research Results

HNK, Honokiol: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Honokiol is a Lignan isolated from bark, seed cones and leaves of trees of Magnolia species. Honokiol was traditionally used for anxiety and stroke treatment, as well as the alleviation of flu symptoms.
-considered to have antioxidant properties
-low oral bioavailability and difficulty in intravenous administration
-the development of various formulations of honokiol, including microemulsion, liposomes, nanoparticles and micelle copolymers have successfully solved the problem of low water solubility.

Pathways:
-Inhibit NF-κB activation
-Downregulate STAT3 signalin
-Inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway,
-Inhibition of mTOR
-Influences various MAPK cascades—including ERK, JNK, and p38
-Inhibition of EGFR
-Inhibiting Notch pathway (CSCs)
-GPx4 inhibit
-Can induce ER stress in cancer cells, which contributes to the activation of unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways
-Disrupt the mitochondrial membrane potential in cancer cells.
-Reported to increase ROS production in cancer cells
-Can exhibit antioxidant properties in normal cells. - has some inhibitor activity but Not classified as HDAC inhibitor as weaker and may work more indirectly.
- is well-known in the research community for its role in activating SIRT3

-Note half-life 40–60 minutes
BioAv
Pathways:
- induce ROS production in cancer cells, and typically lowers ROS in normal cells
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓ Prx
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓,
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, VEGF↓, ROCK1↓, RhoA↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, ERK↓, EMT↓,
- inhibits glycolysis and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PDKs↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, EGFR↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, CD133↓, β-catenin↓, sox2↓, nestin↓, OCT4↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, ERK↓, JNK, TrxR**, - Shown to modulate the nuclear translocation of SREBP-2 (related to cholesterol).
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells Label Primary Interpretation Notes
1 Mitochondrial integrity / intrinsic apoptosis ↓ ΔΨm; ↑ cytochrome-c release; ↑ caspases ↔ largely preserved Driver Mitochondria-directed cytotoxicity Honokiol directly accumulates in mitochondria and initiates intrinsic apoptosis in cancer cells
2 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS (secondary, stress-amplifying) ↔ buffered Secondary Mitochondrial stress amplification ROS elevation follows mitochondrial perturbation rather than acting as the initiating trigger
3 STAT3 signaling ↓ STAT3 activation ↔ minimal Driver Loss of survival and stemness signaling STAT3 suppression contributes to apoptosis, CSC targeting, and reduced proliferation
4 PI3K → AKT → mTOR axis ↓ AKT / ↓ mTOR ↔ adaptive suppression Secondary Growth and anabolic inhibition AKT/mTOR inhibition reinforces mitochondrial and apoptotic stress
5 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation ↓ inflammatory NF-κB tone Secondary Suppression of survival transcription NF-κB inhibition contributes to chemosensitization and anti-inflammatory effects
6 Cell cycle regulation ↑ G0/G1 or G2/M arrest ↔ spared Phenotypic Cytostatic growth control Cell-cycle arrest reflects upstream signaling disruption
7 Autophagy ↑ autophagy (context-dependent) ↑ adaptive autophagy Adaptive Stress response vs death cooperation Autophagy may precede apoptosis or act as a transient survival response


RAS, RAS: Click to Expand ⟱
Source: CGL-CS
Type: oncogene
Family of RAS proteins (KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS) have been well described to cause oncogenic transformation.

- The expression and mutational status of RAS isoforms are critical in several cancers and are generally linked with a poorer prognosis when mutated.
RAS is one of the most frequently activated oncogenic drivers in human cancer. Mutations lock RAS in its GTP-bound active state, making signaling:
-Constitutive
-Growth-factor independent
-Resistant to normal feedback control

Key framing: RAS is a true driver oncogene, not just an amplifier.

Core Oncogenic Pathways Downstream of RAS
RAS sits at the apex of multiple essential signaling cascades:
a. MAPK Pathway (RAF–MEK–ERK)
-Drives proliferation
-Induces cell-cycle genes (Cyclin D, MYC, FOS/AP-1)
-Supports invasion and differentiation blockade

b. PI3K–AKT–mTOR
-Promotes survival and metabolic reprogramming
-Enhances resistance to apoptosis
-Supports protein synthesis and growth

c. RAL-GDS and Others
-Cytoskeletal remodeling
-Vesicle trafficking
-Metastatic behavior

Together, these create a multi-axis growth and survival program.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2883- HNK,    Honokiol targets mitochondria to halt cancer progression and metastasis
- Review, Var, NA
ChemoSen↑, BBB↓, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Casp3↑, chemoPv↑, OCR↓, mitResp↓, Apoptosis↑, RadioS↑, NF-kB↓, Akt↓, TNF-α↓, PGE2↓, VEGF↓, NO↝, COX2↓, RAS↓, EMT↓, Snail↓, N-cadherin↓, β-catenin/ZEB1↓, E-cadherin↑, ER Stress↑, p‑STAT3↓, EGFR↓, mTOR↓, mt-ROS↑, PI3K↓, Wnt↓,
2885- HNK,    Honokiol: a novel natural agent for cancer prevention and therapy
NF-kB↓, STAT3↓, EGFR↓, mTOR↓, BioAv↝, Inflam↓, TumCP↓, angioG↓, TumCI↓, TumMeta↓, cSrc↓, JAK1↓, JAK2↓, ERK↓, Akt↓, PTEN↑, ChemoSen↑, chemoP↑, COX2↓, PGE2↓, TNF-α↓, IL1β↓, IL6↓, Casp3↑, Casp8↑, Casp9↑, cl‑PARP↑, DNAdam↑, Cyt‑c↑, RadioS↑, RAS↓, BBB↑, BioAv↓, Half-Life↝, Half-Life↝, toxicity↓,
2894- HNK,    Pharmacological features, health benefits and clinical implications of honokiol
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA
*BioAv↓, *neuroP↑, *BBB↑, *ROS↓, *Keap1↑, *NRF2↑, *Casp3↓, *SIRT3↑, *Rho↓, *ERK↓, *NF-kB↓, angioG↓, RAS↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, mTOR↓, *memory↑, *Aβ↓, *PPARγ↑, *PGC-1α↑, NF-kB↓, Hif1a↓, VEGF↓, HO-1↓, FOXM1↓, p27↑, P21↑, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓, cycD1/CCND1↓, Twist↓, MMP2↓, Rho↑, ROCK1↑, TumCMig↓, cFLIP↓, BMPs↑, OCR↑, ECAR↓, *AntiAg↑, *cardioP↑, *antiOx↑, *ROS↓, P-gp↓,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 3 of 3

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 3

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

HO-1↓, 1,   mt-ROS↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

mitResp↓, 1,   OCR↓, 1,   OCR↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

ECAR↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Akt↓, 3,   Apoptosis↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 2,   Casp8↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   cFLIP↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 2,   p27↑, 1,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction

cSrc↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

ER Stress↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

DNAdam↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

CDK2↓, 1,   CDK4↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   P21↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

EMT↓, 1,   ERK↓, 1,   FOXM1↓, 1,   mTOR↓, 3,   PI3K↓, 2,   PTEN↑, 1,   RAS↓, 3,   STAT3↓, 1,   p‑STAT3↓, 1,   Wnt↓, 1,  

Migration

Ca+2↑, 1,   E-cadherin↑, 1,   MMP2↓, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   Rho↑, 1,   ROCK1↑, 1,   Snail↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,   TumMeta↓, 1,   Twist↓, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

angioG↓, 2,   EGFR↓, 2,   Hif1a↓, 1,   NO↝, 1,   VEGF↓, 2,  

Barriers & Transport

BBB↓, 1,   BBB↑, 1,   P-gp↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

COX2↓, 2,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   JAK1↓, 1,   JAK2↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 3,   PGE2↓, 2,   TNF-α↓, 2,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors

CDK6↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↓, 1,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 2,   Half-Life↝, 2,   RadioS↑, 2,  

Clinical Biomarkers

BMPs↑, 1,   EGFR↓, 2,   FOXM1↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

chemoP↑, 1,   chemoPv↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 75

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

antiOx↑, 1,   Keap1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 2,   SIRT3↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

PGC-1α↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

PPARγ↑, 1,  

Cell Death

Casp3↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

ERK↓, 1,  

Migration

AntiAg↑, 1,   Rho↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport

BBB↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

NF-kB↓, 1,  

Protein Aggregation

Aβ↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

cardioP↑, 1,   memory↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 18

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: RAS, RAS
3 Honokiol
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#:94  Target#:269  State#:%  Dir#:1
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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