Database Query Results : Ashwagandha(Withaferin A), , HO-1

Ash, Ashwagandha(Withaferin A): Click to Expand ⟱
Features:

Ashwagandha (Withaferin A) — Withaferin A (WA; WFA) is a bioactive steroidal lactone (a “withanolide”) found in Withania somnifera (ashwagandha/Indian ginseng), with most translational oncology discussion centered on WA as a small-molecule electrophile rather than the whole-herb supplement. It is best classified as a natural-product small molecule (steroidal lactone/withanolide) with pleiotropic proteostasis, cytoskeletal, redox-stress, and inflammatory signaling effects; in supplements, WA exposure depends strongly on extract standardization (root vs leaf, % withanolides) and formulation.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Hsp90-axis disruption (incl. client protein destabilization) leading to proteostasis stress and multi-client oncoprotein depletion
  2. Covalent targeting of intermediate filaments (notably vimentin) with downstream effects on adhesion/migration, EMT programs, and angiogenic endothelium
  3. Pro-oxidative stress signaling in cancer cells with mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress/UPR engagement, and apoptosis execution
  4. Inflammation and survival signaling suppression (notably NF-κB-centric programs; context-dependent immune modulation)
  5. Contextual transcriptional/epigenetic modulation (e.g., HDAC/DNMT-related signals) contributing to anti-proliferative phenotypes
  6. Metabolic stress signaling (glycolysis/HIF-1α/ATP depletion) as a secondary vulnerability in susceptible models

Bioavailability / PK relevance: WA shows measurable systemic exposure in animals (reported oral bioavailability in rats), but PK is variable across species, doses, and extract matrices; human exposure data exist from a phase I osteosarcoma study and from healthy-volunteer PK work on standardized Withania extracts measuring circulating withanolides (including WA). WA is lipophilic and subject to first-pass metabolism; typical pharmacodynamic in-vitro micromolar concentrations may exceed achievable unbound plasma levels depending on formulation and dosing.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many mechanistic cancer studies use ~1–10 µM WA; translation requires caution because free (unbound) systemic concentrations and tumor penetration are not well-constrained in humans, and whole-extract products can have low/variable WA content (model- and formulation-dependent).

Clinical evidence status: Limited human oncology evidence: a phase I study in advanced high-grade osteosarcoma reported feasibility/safety and proposed a daily dose level; an active clinical trial evaluates an ashwagandha/withaferin-A strategy with liposomal doxorubicin in recurrent ovarian cancer. Most anticancer support remains preclinical, while non-oncology human data for ashwagandha primarily address stress/sleep and are not evidence of anticancer efficacy.

The main active constituents of Ashwagandha leaves are alkaloids and steroidal lactones (commonly known as Withanolides).
-The main constituents of ashwagandha are withanolides such as withaferin A, alkaloids, steroidal lactones, tropine, and cuscohygrine.
Ashwagandha is an herb that may reduce stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
*-Ashwagandha is often characterized as an antioxidant.
-Some studies suggest that while ashwagandha may protect normal cells from oxidative damage, it can simultaneously stress cancer cells by tipping their redox balance toward cytotoxicity.
Pathways:
-Induction of Apoptosis and ROS Generation
-Hsp90 Inhibition and Proteasomal Degradation

Cell culture studies vary widely, typically ranging from low micromolar (e.g., 1–10 µM).
In animal models (commonly mice), Withaferin A has been administered in doses ranging from approximately 2 to 10 mg/kg body weight.
- General wellness, Ashwagandha supplements are sometimes taken in doses ranging from 300 mg to 600 mg of an extract (often standardized to contain a certain percentage of withanolides) once or twice daily.
- 400mg of WS extract was given 3X/day to schizophrenia patients. report#2001.
- Ashwagandha Pure 400mg/capsule is available from mcsformulas.com.

-Note half-life 4-6 hrs?.
BioAv
Pathways:
- well-recognized for promoting ROS in cancer cells, while no effect(or reduction) on normal cells.
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓, Prx,
- Confusing results about Lowering AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, TrxR↓**, SOD↓, GSH↓ Catalase↓ HO1↓ 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↓, TIMP2, uPA↓, VEGF↓, ROCK1↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, SDF1↓, TGF-β↓, α-SMA↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓(combined with sulfor), DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, P53↑, HSP↓, Sp proteins↓, TET↑
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, TNF-α↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, β-catenin↓, sox2↓,
- 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

Mechanistic pathway map for Ashwagandha (Withaferin A) in cancer biology

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Hsp90 proteostasis axis Hsp90 functional inhibition → client proteins ↓ (Akt/EGFR/HER2/Raf/Cdk etc.) → growth/survival signaling ↓ Stress-response engagement possible; tolerability is dose/formulation dependent R Multi-node oncogenic network destabilization Often presented as ATP-independent Hsp90 inhibition with downstream proteasomal degradation of clients; mechanistically central because it collapses multiple driver pathways at once.
2 Vimentin and intermediate filament remodeling Vimentin function/organization ↓ → migration/invasion ↓, EMT programs ↓ (context-dependent) Endothelial and stromal cytoskeleton can be affected; may underlie anti-angiogenic activity P Anti-motility / anti-metastatic leverage WA behaves as a reactive small molecule with reported covalent interaction with vimentin; cytoskeletal perturbation can be rapid and not strictly transcription-driven.
3 Mitochondrial ROS increase ROS ↑ → ΔΨm ↓, cyt-c ↑, caspase cascade ↑ → apoptosis ↑ Often ROS ↔ or ↓ with antioxidant response ↑ (model-dependent) P/R Selective redox toxicity in susceptible tumors Frequently paired with ER stress/UPR activation; selectivity is commonly framed as “push cancer over its redox limit,” but this is highly dose- and context-dependent.
4 ER stress and UPR axis ER stress ↑, UPR ↑ → proteotoxic stress → apoptosis/autophagy shifts (model-dependent) Adaptive UPR may occur; excessive dosing can stress normal tissues R Proteotoxic stress amplification Mechanistically synergistic with Hsp90 disruption and ROS signaling; can manifest as GRP78/BiP and related markers ↑ in some systems.
5 NF-κB inflammatory survival signaling NF-κB ↓ → cytokine/pro-survival programs ↓, invasion-associated signaling ↓ Anti-inflammatory signaling ↓ may be beneficial in some contexts; immune effects can be mixed G Survival/inflammation program suppression Often aligned with COX-2 and inflammasome-related readouts in inflammatory models; oncology relevance is strongest where NF-κB is a core survival node.
6 EMT and metastasis signaling EMT ↓, MMPs ↓, uPA ↓, CXCR4/SDF1 axis ↓ (model-dependent) Wound-healing programs can be affected (context-dependent) G Anti-invasive phenotype Partly downstream of cytoskeletal (vimentin) effects and NF-κB/TGF-β-linked programs; directionality can vary by tumor lineage and assay.
7 Glycolysis and HIF-1α HIF-1α ↓, glycolysis flux ↓, ATP ↓ (susceptible models) Usually ↔ at low exposure; metabolic stress possible at higher exposure G Metabolic vulnerability unmasking Often secondary to upstream stress (ROS/proteostasis) rather than a primary enzymatic inhibitor; interpret as (context-dependent).
8 Cell cycle checkpoint control Cell-cycle arrest ↑ (often G2/M reported), CDK/cyclin signaling ↓ Proliferating normal cells may also be sensitive at higher exposure G Anti-proliferative enforcement Common phenotype readout across WA studies; mechanistic “why” may differ by model (proteostasis vs ROS vs mitotic machinery/cytoskeleton).
9 NRF2 and antioxidant defense NRF2 ↓ and antioxidant enzymes ↓ reported in some cancer models; sometimes mixed ↔ NRF2 ↑ and antioxidant enzymes ↑ reported in some normal-tissue protection contexts G Redox buffering divergence Highly model-dependent; WA can behave as a stressor that either suppresses or activates NRF2-linked programs depending on timing, dose, and baseline redox state.
10 Clinical Translation Constraint Micromolar in-vitro dosing common; human oncology exposure/target engagement remains sparsely defined Supplement heterogeneity (WA content), drug-interaction risk, and organ-specific toxicity signals (notably liver; thyroid) constrain use — Formulation + PK + safety gating Human data exist (phase I osteosarcoma; ongoing ovarian combo), but WA is not an approved anticancer drug and standardized products/target engagement biomarkers are not yet mature.

TSF legend: P: 0–30 min    R: 30 min–3 hr    G: >3 hr
HO-1, HMOX1: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
(Also known as Hsp32 and HMOX1)
HO-1 is the common abbreviation for the protein (heme oxygenase‑1) produced by the HMOX1 gene.
HO-1 is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, including the breakdown of heme, a toxic molecule. Research has shown that HO-1 is involved in the development and progression of cancer.
-widely regarded as having antioxidant and cytoprotective effects
-The overall activity of HO‑1 helps to reduce the pro‐oxidant load (by degrading free heme, a pro‑oxidant) and to generate molecules (like bilirubin) that can protect cells from oxidative damage

Studies have found that HO-1 is overexpressed in various types of cancer, including lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancer. The overexpression of HO-1 in cancer cells can contribute to their survival and proliferation by:
  Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation
  Promoting angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels)
  Inhibiting apoptosis (programmed cell death)
  Enhancing cell migration and invasion
When HO-1 is at a normal level, it mainly exerts an antioxidant effect, and when it is excessively elevated, it causes an accumulation of iron ions.

A proper cellular level of HMOX1 plays an antioxidative function to protect cells from ROS toxicity. However, its overexpression has pro-oxidant effects to induce ferroptosis of cells, which is dependent on intracellular iron accumulation and increased ROS content upon excessive activation of HMOX1.

-Curcumin   Activates the Nrf2 pathway leading to HO‑1 induction; known for its anti‑inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
-Resveratrol  Induces HO‑1 via activation of SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling; exhibits antioxidant and cardioprotective properties.
-Quercetin   Activates Nrf2 and related antioxidant pathways; contributes to anti‑oxidative and anti‑inflammatory responses.
-EGCG     Promotes HO‑1 expression through activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway; also exhibits anti‑inflammatory and anticancer properties.
-Sulforaphane One of the most potent natural HO‑1 inducers; triggers Nrf2 nuclear translocation and upregulates a battery of phase II detoxifying enzymes.
-Luteolin    Induces HO‑1 via Nrf2 activation; may also exert anti‑inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in various cell models.
-Apigenin   Has been reported to induce HO‑1 expression partly via the MAPK and Nrf2 pathways; also known for anti‑inflammatory and anticancer activities.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
3173- Ash,    Nano-targeted induction of dual ferroptotic mechanisms eradicates high-risk neuroblastoma
- in-vitro, neuroblastoma, NA
GPx4↓, WA drops the protein level and activity of GPX4
HO-1↑, WA induces a novel noncanonical ferroptosis pathway by increasing the labile Fe(II) pool upon excessive activation of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) through direct targeting of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), which is sufficient to induce lipi
lipid-P↑, which is sufficient to induce lipid peroxidation
Keap1↓, In line with this, we observed decreased levels of KEAP1 along with increased levels of NRF2 in conditions in which HMOX1 is upregulated
NRF2↑,
Ferroptosis↑, WA increases intracellular labile Fe(II) upon excessive activation of HMOX1, which is sufficient to induce ferroptosis

3166- Ash,    Exploring the Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential of Withaferin A and Its Derivatives
- Review, Var, NA
*p‑PPARγ↓, preventing the phosphorylation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARγ)
*cardioP↑, cardioprotective activity by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and suppressing mitochondrial apoptosis.
*AMPK↑,
*BioAv↝, The oral bioavailability was found to be 32.4 ± 4.8% after 5 mg/kg intravenous and 10 mg/kg oral WA administration.
*Half-Life↝, The stability studies of WA in gastric fluid, liver microsomes, and intestinal microflora solution showed similar results in male rats and humans with a half-life of 5.6 min.
*Half-Life↝, WA reduced quickly, and 27.1% left within 1 h
*Dose↑, WA showed that formulation at dose 4800 mg having equivalent to 216 mg of WA, was tolerated well without showing any dose-limiting toxicity.
*chemoPv↑, Here, we discuss the chemo-preventive effects of WA on multiple organs.
IL6↓, attenuates IL-6 in inducible (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231)
STAT3↓, WA displayed downregulation of STAT3 transcriptional activity
ROS↓, associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, resulted in apoptosis of cells. The WA treatment decreases the oxidative phosphorylation
OXPHOS↓,
PCNA↓, uppresses human breast cells’ proliferation by decreasing the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression
LDH↓, WA treatment decreases the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) expression, increases AMP protein kinase activation, and reduces adenosine triphosphate
AMPK↑,
TumCCA↑, (SKOV3 andCaOV3), WA arrest the G2/M phase cell cycle
NOTCH3↓, It downregulated the Notch-3/Akt/Bcl-2 signaling mediated cell survival, thereby causing caspase-3 stimulation, which induces apoptosis.
Akt↓,
Bcl-2↓,
Casp3↑,
Apoptosis↑,
eff↑, Withaferin-A, combined with doxorubicin, and cisplatin at suboptimal dose generates ROS and causes cell death
NF-kB↓, reduces the cytosolic and nuclear levels of NF-κB-related phospho-p65 cytokines in xenografted tumors
CSCs↓, WA can be used as a pharmaceutical agent that effectively kills cancer stem cells (CSCs).
HSP90↓, WA inhibit Hsp90 chaperone activity, disrupting Hsp90 client proteins, thus showing antiproliferative effects
PI3K↓, WA inhibited PI3K/AKT pathway.
FOXO3↑, Par-4 and FOXO3A proapoptotic proteins were increased in Pten-KO mice supplemented with WA.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓, decreased pAKT expression and the β-catenin and N-cadherin epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers in WA-treated tumors control
N-cadherin↓,
EMT↓,
FASN↓, WA intraperitoneal administration (0.1 mg) resulted in significant suppression of circulatory free fatty acid and fatty acid synthase expression, ATP citrate lyase,
ACLY↓,
ROS↑, WA generates ROS followed by the activation of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 pathways, and upregulating the expression of the c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK)
NRF2↑,
HO-1↑,
NQO1↑,
JNK↑,
mTOR↓, suppressing the mTOR/STAT3 pathway
neuroP↑, neuroprotective ability of WA (50 mg/kg b.w)
*TNF-α↓, WA attenuate the levels of neuroinflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6)
*IL1β↓,
*IL6↓,
*IL8↓, WA decreases the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNFα, IL-8, IL-18)
*IL18↓,
RadioS↑, radiosensitizing combination effect of WA and hyperthermia (HT) or radiotherapy (RT)
eff↑, WA and cisplatin at suboptimal dose generates ROS and causes cell death [41]. The actions of this combination is attributed by eradicating cells, revealing markers of cancer stem cells like CD34, CD44, Oct4, CD24, and CD117

3687- Ash,    Role of Withaferin A and Its Derivatives in the Management of Alzheimer’s Disease: Recent Trends and Future Perspectives
- Review, AD, NA
*Aβ↓, neuroprotective potential of WA is mediated by reduction of beta-amyloid plaque aggregation, tau protein accumulation, regulation of heat shock proteins, and inhibition of oxidative and inflammatory constituents.
*tau↓,
*HSPs↝, WA inhibited Hsp90 [127] and induced Hsp 27 and Hsp70 expressions
*antiOx↑,
*ROS↓,
*Inflam↓,
*neuroP↑, confirming WA’s neuroprotective potency against AD.
*cognitive↑, In an AD model, cognitive defects induced by ibotenic acid that was significantly reversed by WA isolated from Ashwagandha root
*NF-kB↓, inhibited nuclear factor NF-κB activation
*HO-1↑, WA also increased the neuro-protective protein heme oxygenase-1, which is beneficial to AD prevention
*memory↑, WA additionally enhances memory [133], prevents Aβ production, reconstructs synapses, and regenerates axons
*AChE↓, WA Inhibits AChE and BuChE Activities
*BChE↓,
*ChAT↑, WA has an important role in AD by reversing the reduction in cholinergic markers such as choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholine
*Ach↑, WA increased the level of ACh, the amount of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)

1357- Ash,    Cytotoxicity of withaferin A in glioblastomas involves induction of an oxidative stress-mediated heat shock response while altering Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways
- in-vitro, GBM, U87MG - in-vitro, GBM, U251 - in-vitro, GBM, GL26
TumCP↓,
TumCCA↑, G2/M cell cycle
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
p70S6↓,
p85S6K↓,
AMPKα↑,
TSC2↑,
HSP70/HSPA5↑,
HO-1↑,
HSF1↓,
Apoptosis↑,
ROS↑, Withaferin A elevates pro-oxidant potential in GBM cells and induces a cellular oxidative stress response
eff↓, Pre-treatment with a thiol-antioxidant protects GBM cells from the anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effects of withaferin A NAC pretreatment was able to completely prevent cell cycle shift to G2/M arrest following 1µM WA treatment at 24h

3163- Ash,  Rad,    Withaferin A, a steroidal lactone, selectively protects normal lymphocytes against ionizing radiation induced apoptosis and genotoxicity via activation of ERK/Nrf-2/HO-1 axis
*radioP↑, Withaferin A (WA) protected only normal lymphocytes, but not cancer cells, against IR-induced apoptosis
selectivity↑,
*Casp3↓, WA treatment led to significant inhibition of IR-induced caspase-3 activation and decreased IR-induced DNA damage to lymphocytes and bone-marrow cells.
*DNAdam↓,
*ROS↓, WA reduced intracellular ROS and GSH levels
*GSH↓,
*NRF2↑, WA induced pro-survival transcription factor, Nrf-2, and expression of cytoprotective genes HO-1, catalase, SOD, peroxiredoxin-2 via ERK.
*HO-1↑,
*Catalase↑,
*SOD↑,
*Prx↑,
*ERK↑, Activated ERK promotes the nuclear translocation and activity of Nrf2

3161- Ash,    Withaferin A inhibits ferroptosis and protects against intracerebral hemorrhage
- in-vivo, Stroke, NA
*neuroP↑, Withaferin A (WFA), a natural compound, exhibits a positive effect on a number of neurological diseases
*MDA↓, WFA markedly decreased the level of malondialdehyde, an oxidative stress marker,
*ROS↓,
*SOD↑, and increased the activities of anti-oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase
*GPx↑,
*NRF2↑, results demonstrated that WFA activated the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling axis, promoted translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to nucleus, and increased HO-1 expression.
*HO-1↑, WFA induces HO-1 expression to attenuate oxidative damage in vitro

3160- Ash,    Withaferin A: A Pleiotropic Anticancer Agent from the Indian Medicinal Plant Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal
- Review, Var, NA
TumCCA↑, withaferin A suppressed cell proliferation in prostate, ovarian, breast, gastric, leukemic, and melanoma cancer cells and osteosarcomas by stimulating the inhibition of the cell cycle at several stages, including G0/G1 [86], G2, and M phase
H3↑, via the upregulation of phosphorylated Aurora B, H3, p21, and Wee-1, and the downregulation of A2, B1, and E2 cyclins, Cdc2 (Tyr15), phosphorylated Chk1, and Chk2 in DU-145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells.
P21↑,
cycA1/CCNA1↓,
CycB/CCNB1↓,
cycE/CCNE↓,
CDC2↓,
CHK1↓,
Chk2↓,
p38↑, nitiated cell death in the leukemia cells by increasing the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)
MAPK↑,
E6↓, educed the expression of human papillomavirus E6/E7 oncogenes in cervical cancer cells
E7↓,
P53↑, restored the p53 pathway causing the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells.
Akt↓, oral dose of 3–5 mg/kg withaferin A attenuated the activation of Akt and stimulated Forkhead Box-O3a (FOXO3a)-mediated prostate apoptotic response-4 (Par-4) activation,
FOXO3↑,
ROS↑, the generation of reactive oxygen species, histone H2AX phosphorylation, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization, indicating that withaferin A can cause the oxidative stress-mediated killing of oral cancer cells [
γH2AX↑,
MMP↓,
mitResp↓, withaferin A inhibited the expansion of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells by ROS production, owing to mitochondrial respiration inhibition
eff↑, combination treatment of withaferin A and hyperthermia induced the death of HeLa cells via a decrease in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and the downregulation of the antiapoptotic protein myeloid-cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1)
TumCD↑,
Mcl-1↓,
ER Stress↑, . Withaferin A also attenuated the development of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), both in vitro and in vivo, by inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress via activating the transcription factor 4-ATF3-C/EBP homologous protein (ATF4-ATF3-CHOP)
ATF4↑,
ATF3↑,
CHOP↑,
NOTCH↓, modulating the Notch-1 signaling pathway and the downregulation of Akt/NF-κB/Bcl-2 . withaferin A inhibited the Notch signaling pathway
NF-kB↓,
Bcl-2↓,
STAT3↓, Withaferin A also constitutively inhibited interleukin-6-induced phosphorylation of STAT3,
CDK1↓, lowering the levels of cyclin-dependent Cdk1, Cdc25C, and Cdc25B proteins,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓, downregulation of p-Akt expression, β-catenin, N-cadherin and epithelial to the mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers
N-cadherin↓,
EMT↓,
Cyt‑c↑, depolarization and production of ROS, which led to the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol,
eff↑, combinatorial effect of withaferin A and sulforaphane was also observed in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, with a dramatic reduction of the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and an increase in the pro-apoptotic Bax level, thus p
CDK4↓, downregulates the levels of cyclin D1, CDK4, and pRB, and upregulates the levels of E2F mRNA and tumor suppressor p21, independently of p53
p‑RB1↓,
PARP↑, upregulation of Bax and cytochrome c, downregulation of Bcl-2, and activation of PARP, caspase-3, and caspase-9 cleavage
cl‑Casp3↑,
cl‑Casp9↑,
NRF2↑, withaferin A binding with Keap1 causes an increase in the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein levels, which in turn, regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins that can protect the cells from oxidative stress.
ER-α36↓, Decreased ER-α
LDHA↓, inhibited growth, LDHA activity, and apoptotic induction
lipid-P↑, induction of oxidative stress, increased lipid peroxidation,
AP-1↓, anti-inflammatory qualities of withaferin A are specifically attributed to its inhibition of pro-inflammatory molecules, α-2 macroglobulin, NF-κB, activator protein 1 (AP-1), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition,
COX2↓,
RenoP↑, showing strong evidence of the renoprotective potential of withaferin A due to its anti-inflammatory activity
PDGFR-BB↓, attenuating the BB-(PDGF-BB) platelet growth factor
SIRT3↑, by increasing the sirtuin3 (SIRT3) expression
MMP2↓, withaferin A inhibits matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9,
MMP9↓,
NADPH↑, but also provokes mRNA stimulation for a set of antioxidant genes, such as NADPH quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), glutathione-disulfide reductase (GSR), Nrf2, heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1),
NQO1↑,
GSR↑,
HO-1↑,
*SOD2↑, cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury model. Withaferin A triggered the upregulation of superoxide dismutase SOD2, SOD3, and peroxiredoxin 1(Prdx-1).
*Prx↑,
*Casp3?, and ameliorated cardiomyocyte caspase-3 activity
eff↑, combination with doxorubicin (DOX), is also responsible for the excessive generation of ROS
Snail↓, inhibition of EMT markers, such as Snail, Slug, β-catenin, and vimentin.
Slug↓,
Vim↓,
CSCs↓, highly effective in eliminating cancer stem cells (CSC) that expressed cell surface markers, such as CD24, CD34, CD44, CD117, and Oct4 while downregulating Notch1, Hes1, and Hey1 genes;
HEY1↓,
MMPs↓, downregulate the expression of MMPs and VEGF, as well as reduce vimentin, N-cadherin cytoskeleton proteins,
VEGF↓,
uPA↓, and protease u-PA involved in the cancer cell metastasis
*toxicity↓, A was orally administered to Wistar rats at a dose of 2000 mg/kg/day and had no adverse effects on the animals
CDK2↓, downregulated the activation of Bcl-2, CDK2, and cyclin D1
CDK4↓, Another study also demonstrated the inhibition of Hsp90 by withaferin A in a pancreatic cancer cell line through the degradation of Akt, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 Cdk4,
HSP90↓,

3156- Ash,    Withaferin A: From ayurvedic folk medicine to preclinical anti-cancer drug
- Review, Var, NA
MAPK↑, Figure 3
p38↑,
BAX↑,
BIM↑,
CHOP↑,
ROS↑,
DR5↑,
Apoptosis↑,
Ferroptosis↑,
GPx4↓,
BioAv↝, WA has a rapid oral absorption and reaches to peak plasma concentration of around 16.69 ± 4.02 ng/ml within 10 min after oral administration of Withania somnifera aqueous extract at dose of 1000 mg/kg, which is equivalent to 0.458 mg/kg of WA
HSP90↓, table 1 10uM) were found to inhibit the chaperone activity of HSP90
RET↓,
E6↓,
E7↓,
Akt↓,
cMET↓,
Glycolysis↓, by suppressing the glycolysis and tricarboxylic (TCA) cycle
TCA↓,
NOTCH1↓,
STAT3↓,
AP-1↓,
PI3K↓,
eIF2α↓,
HO-1↑,
TumCCA↑, WA (1--3 uM) have been reported to inhibit cell proliferation by inducing G2 and M phase cycle arrest inovarian, breast, prostate, gastric and myelodysplastic/leukemic cancer cells and osteosarcoma
CDK1↓, WA is able to decrease the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) activity and prevent Cdk1/cyclin B1 complex formation, which are key steps in cell cycle progression
*hepatoP↑, A treatment (40 mg/kg) reduces acetaminophen-induced liver injury (AILI) in mouse models and decreases H 2O 2-induced glutathione (GSH) depletion and necrosis in hepatocyte
*GSH↑,
*NRF2↑, WA triggers an anti-oxidant response after acetaminophen overdose by enhancing hepatic transcription of the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2)-responsive gene
Wnt↓, indirectly inhibit Wnt
EMT↓, WA can also block tumor metastasis through reduced expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers.
uPA↓, WA (700 nM) exert anti-meta-static activities in breast cancer cells through inhibition of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) protease
CSCs↓, s WA (125-500 nM) suppress tumor sphere formation indicating that the self-renewal of CSC is abolished
Nanog↓, loss of these CSC-specific characteristics is reflected in the loss of typical stem cell markers such as ALDH1A, Nanog, Sox2, CD44 and CD24
SOX2↓,
CD44↓,
lactateProd↓, drop in lactate levels compared to control mice.
Iron↑, Furthermore, we found that WA elevates the levels of intracellular labile ferrous iron (Fe +2 ) through excessive activation of heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), which independently causes accumulation of toxic lipid radicals and ensuing ferroptosis
NF-kB↓, nhibition of NF-kB kinase signaling pathway


* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 8

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

ATF3↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 2,   GPx4↓, 2,   GSR↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 5,   Iron↑, 1,   Keap1↓, 1,   lipid-P↑, 2,   NQO1↑, 2,   NRF2↑, 3,   OXPHOS↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   ROS↑, 4,   SIRT3↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

CDC2↓, 1,   mitResp↓, 1,   MMP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

ACLY↓, 1,   AMPK↑, 1,   FASN↓, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 1,   lactateProd↓, 1,   LDH↓, 1,   LDHA↓, 1,   NADPH↑, 1,   TCA↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 4,   Apoptosis↑, 3,   BAX↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   BIM↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 1,   cl‑Casp3↑, 1,   cl‑Casp9↑, 1,   Chk2↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   DR5↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 2,   HEY1↓, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↑, 2,   Mcl-1↓, 1,   p38↑, 2,   TumCD↑, 1,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction ⓘ

AMPKα↑, 1,   p70S6↓, 1,   RET↓, 1,   TSC2↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

H3↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

CHOP↑, 2,   eIF2α↓, 1,   ER Stress↑, 1,   HSF1↓, 1,   HSP70/HSPA5↑, 1,   HSP90↓, 3,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

CHK1↓, 1,   P53↑, 1,   PARP↑, 1,   PCNA↓, 1,   γH2AX↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

CDK1↓, 2,   CDK2↓, 1,   CDK4↓, 2,   cycA1/CCNA1↓, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   cycE/CCNE↓, 1,   P21↑, 1,   p‑RB1↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 4,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

CD44↓, 1,   cMET↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 3,   EMT↓, 3,   FOXO3↑, 2,   mTOR↓, 2,   Nanog↓, 1,   NOTCH↓, 1,   NOTCH1↓, 1,   NOTCH3↓, 1,   p85S6K↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 2,   SOX2↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 3,   Wnt↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

AP-1↓, 2,   ER-α36↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 1,   MMPs↓, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 2,   Slug↓, 1,   Snail↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,   uPA↓, 2,   Vim↓, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 2,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

ATF4↑, 1,   PDGFR-BB↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 3,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↝, 1,   eff↓, 1,   eff↑, 5,   RadioS↑, 1,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

E6↓, 2,   E7↓, 2,   IL6↓, 1,   LDH↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

neuroP↑, 1,   RenoP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 113

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 1,   Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   GSH↓, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 3,   MDA↓, 1,   NRF2↑, 3,   Prx↑, 2,   ROS↓, 3,   SOD↑, 2,   SOD2↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

AMPK↑, 1,   p‑PPARγ↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Casp3?, 1,   Casp3↓, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

Ach↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

HSPs↝, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

ERK↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

IL18↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   IL8↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↓, 1,   BChE↓, 1,   ChAT↑, 1,   tau↓, 1,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Aβ↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↝, 1,   Dose↑, 1,   Half-Life↝, 2,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 1,   chemoPv↑, 1,   cognitive↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   memory↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 2,   radioP↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 44

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: HO-1, HMOX1
8 Ashwagandha(Withaferin A)
1 Radiotherapy/Radiation
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#:36  Target#:597  State#:%  Dir#:%
  wNotes=on  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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