Ursolic acid / MMP2 Cancer Research Results

UA, Ursolic acid: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Natural compound found in apples and rosemary.
Ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in many plants (notably apple peel, rosemary, thyme, holy basil, and other herbs). In cancer models it is best described as a multi-target signaling modulator with prominent effects on NF-κB inflammation/survival transcription, STAT3, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and MAPK pathways, with downstream outcomes including cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, and reduced invasion/EMT. A practical translational constraint is poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability, so many strong in-vitro µM effects may not map cleanly to typical oral exposure without formulation.

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 NF-κB inflammatory / survival transcription NF-κB ↓; COX-2/iNOS/cytokines/Bcl-2 family/MMPs ↓ (reported) Inflammation tone ↓ (context) R, G Anti-inflammatory + anti-survival transcription One of the most frequently reported UA effects across tumor models; downstream impacts include reduced pro-survival and pro-metastatic gene programs.
2 STAT3 axis (JAK/STAT3 signaling) STAT3 activity ↓ (reported); downstream targets ↓ ↔ R, G Oncogenic transcription suppression UA is often reported to suppress STAT3 signaling, contributing to reduced proliferation/survival signaling.
3 PI3K → AKT (± mTOR) survival axis PI3K/AKT ↓; mTORC1 tone ↓ (reported; model-dependent) ↔ R, G Growth/survival modulation Commonly listed mechanism; direction and strength vary by cell line and exposure.
4 MAPK re-wiring (ERK / JNK / p38) Stress-MAPK modulation (context-dependent) ↔ P, R, G Signal reprogramming JNK/p38 activation and ERK modulation are reported variably; avoid fixed arrows unless tied to a specific model.
5 Cell-cycle checkpoints (Cyclins/CDKs; p21/p27) Cell-cycle arrest ↑ (G1/S or G2/M; reported); Cyclin D1/CDKs ↓ (context) ↔ G Cytostasis Often downstream of NF-κB/STAT3/PI3K signaling suppression.
6 Intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondrial/caspase linked) Apoptosis ↑; Bax ↑; Bcl-2 ↓; caspases ↑ (reported) ↔ (generally less activation) G Cell death execution Common downstream endpoint; can be coupled to stress signaling and survival pathway suppression.
7 Angiogenesis signaling (VEGF / HIF-1α outputs) VEGF ↓; angiogenic outputs ↓ (reported) ↔ G Anti-angiogenic support Typically phenotype-level effects tied to NF-κB/PI3K/HIF programs.
8 Invasion / metastasis programs (MMPs / EMT) MMP2/MMP9 ↓; EMT markers ↓; migration/invasion ↓ (reported) ↔ G Anti-invasive phenotype Often downstream of NF-κB/STAT3 changes; not universal across all tumors.
9 ROS / redox modulation ROS direction variable; redox stress or buffering reported (context) Oxidative injury ↓ in some non-tumor stress models P, R, G Stress modulation UA is not a reliable “pro-oxidant killer”; redox effects depend on dose, model, and baseline oxidative state.
10 Bioavailability / formulation constraint Systemic exposure often limited (poor solubility) — — Translation constraint UA is highly lipophilic with poor aqueous solubility; many formulations (e.g., nanoparticles, phospholipid complexes) are explored to improve exposure.

Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G

  • P: 0–30 min (rapid signaling interactions)
  • R: 30 min–3 hr (acute stress-response + transcription signaling shifts)
  • G: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotype-level outcomes)
MMP2, metalloproteinase-2: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is an enzyme that plays a significant role in the degradation of extracellular matrix components, which is crucial for various physiological processes, including tissue remodeling, wound healing, and angiogenesis.
Elevated levels of MMP-2 have been associated with poor prognosis in various cancers, including breast, lung, and colorectal cancers.
MMP2 and MMP9: two enzymes are critical to tumor invasion.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
15- CUR,  UA,    Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid in prostate cancer: A systematic review
- Review, Pca, NA
NF-kB↝, Akt↝, AR↝, Apoptosis↝, Bcl-2↝, Casp3↝, BAX↝, P21↝, ROS↝, Bcl-xL↝, JNK↝, MMP2↝, P53↝, PSA↝, VEGF↝, COX2↝, cycD1/CCND1↝, EGFR↝, IL6↝, β-catenin/ZEB1↝, mTOR↝, NRF2↝, AP-1↝, Cyt‑c↝, PI3K↝, PTEN↝, Cyc↝, TNF-α↝,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

NRF2↝, 1,   ROS↝, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↝, 1,   Apoptosis↝, 1,   BAX↝, 1,   Bcl-2↝, 1,   Bcl-xL↝, 1,   Casp3↝, 1,   Cyt‑c↝, 1,   JNK↝, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

P53↝, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Cyc↝, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↝, 1,   P21↝, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

mTOR↝, 1,   PI3K↝, 1,   PTEN↝, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

AP-1↝, 1,   MMP2↝, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↝, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

EGFR↝, 1,   VEGF↝, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↝, 1,   IL6↝, 1,   NF-kB↝, 1,   PSA↝, 1,   TNF-α↝, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors ⓘ

AR↝, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

AR↝, 1,   EGFR↝, 1,   IL6↝, 1,   PSA↝, 1,  
Total Targets: 32

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: MMP2, metalloproteinase-2
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#:164  Target#:201  State#:%  Dir#:4
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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