Luteolin / NRF2 Cancer Research Results

LT, Luteolin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Luteolin a Flavonoid found in celery, parsley, broccoli, onion leaves, carrots, peppers, cabbages, apple skins, and chrysanthemum flowers.
-MDR1 expression, MMP-9, IGF-1 and Epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

-Note half-life 2–3 hours
BioAv low, but could be improved with Res, or blend of castor oil, kolliphor and polyethylene glycol
Pathways:
- induce ROS production in cancer cell but a few reports of reduction. Always seems to reduce ROS in normal cells.
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓">NRF2↓, SOD↓, GSH↓ Catalase↓ HO1↓ GPx↓
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑">NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓,
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, TIMP2, IGF-1↓, VEGF↓, FAK↓, RhoA↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓, TET1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, GRP78↑,
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, 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, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Luteolin — Cancer vs Normal Cell Effects
Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells Label Primary Interpretation Notes
1 PI3K → AKT → mTOR axis ↓ AKT / ↓ mTOR signaling ↔ adaptive suppression Driver Loss of survival and growth signaling Luteolin consistently suppresses PI3K/AKT signaling, explaining growth inhibition and apoptosis sensitization
2 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation ↓ inflammatory NF-κB tone Driver Suppression of inflammatory survival transcription NF-κB inhibition is a core, repeatedly observed luteolin effect
3 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS (context- & dose-dependent) ↓ ROS / buffered Conditional Driver Biphasic redox modulation Luteolin can act as a pro-oxidant in cancer cells while remaining antioxidant in normal cells
4 Mitochondrial integrity / intrinsic apoptosis ↓ ΔΨm; ↑ caspase activation ↔ preserved Secondary Execution of intrinsic apoptosis Mitochondrial apoptosis follows signaling and redox stress
5 STAT3 signaling ↓ STAT3 activation ↔ minimal Secondary Loss of proliferative and stemness signaling STAT3 suppression contributes to reduced invasion and CSC traits
6 Cell cycle regulation ↑ G1 or G2/M arrest ↔ spared Phenotypic Cytostatic growth control Cell-cycle arrest reflects upstream pathway inhibition
7 Migration / invasion (EMT, MMP axis) ↓ migration & invasion ↔ Phenotypic Anti-metastatic phenotype Reduced EMT and protease activity limit invasiveness


NRF2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2: Click to Expand ⟱
Source: TCGA
Type: Antiapoptotic
Nrf2 is responsible for regulating an extensive panel of antioxidant enzymes involved in the detoxification and elimination of oxidative stress. Thought of as "Master Regulator" of antioxidant response.
-One way to estimate Nrf2 induction is through the expression of NQO1.
NQO1, the most potent inducer:
SFN 0.2 μM,
quercetin (2.5 μM),
curcumin (2.7 μM),
Silymarin (3.6 μM),
tamoxifen (5.9 μM),
genistein (6.2 μM ),
beta-carotene (7.2μM),
lutein (17 μM),
resveratrol (21 μM),
indol-3-carbinol (50 μM),
chlorophyll (250 μM),
alpha-cryptoxanthin (1.8 mM),
and zeaxanthin (2.2 mM)

1. Raising Nrf2 enhances the cell's antioxidant defenses and ↓ROS. This strategy is used to decrease chemo-radio side effects.
2. Downregulating Nrf2 lowers antioxidant defenses and ↑ROS. In cancer cells this leads to DNA damage, and cell death.
3. However there are some cases where increasing Nrf2 paradoxically causes an increase in ROS (cancer cells). Such as cases of Mitochondial overload, signal crosstalk, reductive stress

-In some cases, Nrf2 is overexpressed in cancer cells, which can lead to the activation of genes involved in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. This can contribute to the development of resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapies.
-Increased Nrf2 expression: Lung, Breast, Colorectal, Prostrate.
Decreased Nrf2 expression: Skine, Liver, Pancreatic.
-Nrf2 is a cytoprotective transcription factor which demonstrated both a negative effect as well as a positive effect on cancer
- "promotes Nrf2 translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus," means facilitates the movement of Nrf2 into the nucleus, thereby enhancing the cell's antioxidant and cytoprotective responses. -Major regulator of Nrf2 activity in cells is the cytosolic inhibitor Keap1.

Nrf2 Inhibitors and Activators
Nrf2 Inhibitors: Brusatol, Luteolin, Trigonelline, VitC, Retinoic acid, Chrysin
Nrf2 Activators: SFN, OPZ EGCG, Resveratrol, DATS, CUR, CDDO, Api
- potent Nrf2 inducers from plants include sulforaphane, curcumin, EGCG, resveratrol, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, wasabi, cafestol and kahweol (coffee), cinnamon, ginger, garlic, lycopene, rosemany

Nrf2 plays dual roles in that it can protect normal tissues against oxidative damage and can act as an oncogenic protein in tumor tissue.
– In healthy tissues, NRF2 activation helps protect cells from oxidative damage and maintains cellular homeostasis.
– In many cancers, constitutive activation of NRF2 (often through mutations in NRF2 itself or loss-of-function mutations in KEAP1) leads to an enhanced antioxidant capacity.
– This upregulation can promote tumor cell survival by enabling cancer cells to thrive under oxidative stress, resist chemotherapeutic agents, and sustain metabolic reprogramming.
– Elevated NRF2 levels have been implicated in promoting tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to therapy in various malignancies.
– High or sustained NRF2 activity is frequently associated with aggressive tumor phenotypes, poorer prognosis, and decreased overall survival in several cancer types.
– While its activation is essential for protecting normal cells from oxidative stress, aberrant or sustained NRF2 activation in tumor cells can lead to enhanced survival, therapeutic resistance, and tumor progression.

NRF2 inhibitors: (to decrease antioxidant defenses and increase cell death from ROS).
-Brusatol: most cited natural inhibitors of Nrf2.
-Luteolin: luteolin can reduce Nrf2 activity in specific cancer models and may enhance cell sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, luteolin is also known as an antioxidant, and its influence on Nrf2 can sometimes be context dependent.
-Apigenin: certain studies to down‑regulate Nrf2 in cancer cells: Dose and context dependent .
-Oridonin:
-Wogonin: although its effects might be cell‑ and dose‑specific.
- Withaferin A

Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2921- LT,    Luteolin as a potential hepatoprotective drug: Molecular mechanisms and treatment strategies
- Review, Nor, NA
*hepatoP↑, *AMPK↑, *SIRT1↑, *ROS↓, STAT3↓, TNF-α↓, NF-kB↓, *IL2↓, *IFN-γ↓, *GSH↑, *SREBP1↓, *ZO-1↑, *TLR4↓, BAX↑, Bcl-2↓, XIAP↓, Fas↑, Casp8↑, Beclin-1↑, *TXNIP↓, *Casp1↓, *IL1β↓, *IL18↓, *NLRP3↓, *MDA↓, *SOD↑, *NRF2↑, *ER Stress↓, *ALAT↓, *AST↓, *iNOS↓, *IL6↓, *HO-1↑, *NQO1↑, *PPARα↑, *ATF4↓, *CHOP↓, *Inflam↓, *antiOx↑, *GutMicro↑,
2916- LT,    Antioxidative and Anticancer Potential of Luteolin: A Comprehensive Approach Against Wide Range of Human Malignancies
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA - Review, Park, NA
proCasp9↓, CDC2↓, CycB/CCNB1↓, Casp9↑, Casp3↑, Cyt‑c↑, cycA1/CCNA1↑, CDK2↓, APAF1↑, TumCCA↑, P53↑, BAX↑, VEGF↓, Bcl-2↓, Apoptosis↑, p‑Akt↓, p‑EGFR↓, p‑ERK↓, p‑STAT3↓, cardioP↑, Catalase↓, SOD↓, *BioAv↓, *antiOx↑, *ROS↓, *NO↓, *GSTs↑, *GSR↑, *SOD↑, *Catalase↑, *lipid-P↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, CDK2↓, BNIP3↑, hTERT/TERT↓, DR5↑, Beclin-1↑, TNF-α↓, NF-kB↓, IL1↓, IL6↓, EMT↓, FAK↓, E-cadherin↑, MDM2↓, NOTCH↓, MAPK↑, Vim↓, N-cadherin↓, Snail↓, MMP2↓, Twist↓, MMP9↓, ROS↑, MMP↓, *AChE↓, *MMP↑, *Aβ↓, *neuroP↑, Trx1↑, ROS↓, *NRF2↑, NRF2↓, *BBB↑, ChemoSen↑, GutMicro↑,
2915- LT,    Luteolin promotes apoptotic cell death via upregulation of Nrf2 expression by DNA demethylase and the interaction of Nrf2 with p53 in human colon cancer cells
- in-vitro, Colon, HT29 - in-vitro, CRC, SNU-407 - in-vitro, Nor, FHC
DNMTs↓, TET1↑, NRF2↑, HDAC↓, tumCV↓, BAX↑, Casp9↑, Casp3↑, Bcl-2↓, ROS↓, GSS↑, Catalase↑, HO-1↑, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, TET1↑, TET3↑, TET2↓, P53↑, P21↑,
2914- LT,    Therapeutic Potential of Luteolin on Cancer
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, *IronCh↑, *toxicity↓, *BioAv↓, *BioAv↑, DNAdam↑, TumCP↓, DR5↑, P53↑, JNK↑, BAX↑, cl‑Casp3↑, cl‑Casp8↑, cl‑Casp9↑, cl‑PARP↑, survivin↓, cycD1/CCND1↓, CycB/CCNB1↓, CDC2↓, P21↑, angioG↓, MMP2↓, AEG1↓, VEGF↓, VEGFR2↓, MMP9↓, CXCR4↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, ERK↓, TumAuto↑, LC3B-II↑, EMT↓, E-cadherin↑, N-cadherin↓, Wnt↓, ROS↑, NICD↓, p‑GSK‐3β↓, iNOS↓, COX2↓, NRF2↑, Ca+2↑, ChemoSen↑, ChemoSen↓, IFN-γ↓, RadioS↑, MDM2↓, NOTCH1↓, AR↓, TIMP1↑, TIMP2↑, ER Stress↑, CDK2↓, Telomerase↓, p‑NF-kB↑, p‑cMyc↑, hTERT/TERT↓, RAS↓, YAP/TEAD↓, TAZ↓, NF-kB↓, NRF2↓, HO-1↓, MDR1↓,
4292- LT,    Luteolin for neurodegenerative diseases: a review
- Review, AD, NA - Review, Park, NA - Review, MS, NA - Review, Stroke, NA
*Inflam↓, *antiOx↑, *neuroP↑, *BioAv↝, *BBB↑, *TNF-α↓, *IL1β↓, *IL6↓, *IL8↓, *IL33↓, *NF-kB↓, *BACE↓, *ROS↓, *SOD↑, *HO-1↑, *NRF2↑, *Casp3↓, *Casp9↑, *Bax:Bcl2↓, *UPR↑, *GRP78/BiP↑, *Aβ↓, *GSK‐3β↓, *tau↓, *CREB↑, *ATP↑, *cognitive↑, *BloodF↑, *BDNF↑, *TrkB↑, *memory↑, *PPARγ↑, *eff↑,
2595- LT,    Regulation of Nrf2/ARE Pathway by Dietary Flavonoids: A Friend or Foe for Cancer Management?
- Review, Var, NA
*NRF2↑, NRF2↓, NRF2⇅,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 6 of 6

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 6

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Catalase↓, 1,   Catalase↑, 1,   GSS↑, 1,   HO-1↓, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   NRF2↓, 3,   NRF2↑, 2,   NRF2⇅, 1,   ROS↓, 2,   ROS↑, 2,   SOD↓, 1,   Trx1↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

CDC2↓, 2,   MMP↓, 1,   XIAP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

p‑cMyc↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 2,   p‑Akt↓, 1,   APAF1↑, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 1,   BAX↑, 4,   Bcl-2↓, 3,   Casp3↑, 2,   cl‑Casp3↑, 1,   Casp8↑, 1,   cl‑Casp8↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 2,   cl‑Casp9↑, 1,   proCasp9↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   DR5↑, 2,   Fas↑, 1,   hTERT/TERT↓, 2,   iNOS↓, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↑, 1,   MDM2↓, 2,   NICD↓, 1,   survivin↓, 1,   Telomerase↓, 1,   YAP/TEAD↓, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

TET3↑, 1,   tumCV↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

ER Stress↑, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes ⓘ

Beclin-1↑, 2,   BNIP3↑, 1,   LC3B-II↑, 1,   TumAuto↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,   DNMT1↓, 1,   DNMT3A↓, 1,   DNMTs↓, 1,   P53↑, 3,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

CDK2↓, 3,   cycA1/CCNA1↑, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 2,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   P21↑, 2,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

EMT↓, 2,   ERK↓, 1,   p‑ERK↓, 1,   p‑GSK‐3β↓, 1,   HDAC↓, 1,   NOTCH↓, 1,   NOTCH1↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 2,   RAS↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 1,   p‑STAT3↓, 1,   TAZ↓, 1,   Wnt↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

AEG1↓, 1,   Ca+2↑, 1,   E-cadherin↑, 2,   FAK↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 2,   MMP9↓, 2,   N-cadherin↓, 2,   Snail↓, 1,   TET1↑, 2,   TIMP1↑, 1,   TIMP2↑, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,   Twist↓, 1,   Vim↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,   p‑EGFR↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 2,   VEGFR2↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   CXCR4↓, 1,   IFN-γ↓, 1,   IL1↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 3,   p‑NF-kB↑, 1,   TNF-α↓, 2,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors ⓘ

AR↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

ChemoSen↓, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 2,   MDR1↓, 1,   RadioS↑, 1,   TET2↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

AR↓, 1,   p‑EGFR↓, 1,   GutMicro↑, 1,   hTERT/TERT↓, 2,   IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 111

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 4,   Catalase↑, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   GSR↑, 1,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 2,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 1,   NQO1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 4,   ROS↓, 3,   SOD↑, 3,  

Metal & Cofactor Biology ⓘ

IronCh↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

ATP↑, 1,   MMP↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

ALAT↓, 1,   AMPK↑, 1,   CREB↑, 1,   PPARα↑, 1,   PPARγ↑, 1,   SIRT1↑, 1,   SREBP1↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Bax:Bcl2↓, 1,   Casp1↓, 1,   Casp3↓, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   iNOS↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

CHOP↓, 1,   ER Stress↓, 1,   GRP78/BiP↑, 1,   UPR↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

GSK‐3β↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

TXNIP↓, 1,   ZO-1↑, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

ATF4↓, 1,   NO↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

BBB↑, 2,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

IFN-γ↓, 1,   IL18↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 2,   IL2↓, 1,   IL33↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   IL8↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 1,   TLR4↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↓, 1,   BDNF↑, 1,   tau↓, 1,   TrkB↑, 1,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Aβ↓, 2,   BACE↓, 1,   NLRP3↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 2,   BioAv↑, 1,   BioAv↝, 1,   eff↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

ALAT↓, 1,   AST↓, 1,   BloodF↑, 1,   GutMicro↑, 1,   IL6↓, 2,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cognitive↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   memory↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 2,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 69

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: NRF2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2
6 Luteolin
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#:118  Target#:226  State#:%  Dir#:2
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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