Database Query Results : Betulinic acid, , PKM2

BetA, Betulinic acid: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Betulinic acid "buh-TOO-li-nik acid" is a natural compound with antiretroviral, anti malarial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. It is found in the bark of several plants, such as white birch, ber tree and rosemary, and has a complex mode of action against tumor cells.
-Betulinic acid is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid
-vitro concentrations range from 1–100 µM, in vivo studies in rodents have generally used doses from 10–100 mg/kg
Precursor: Betulin, via oxidation at C-28
Lipophilicity: High (poor aqueous solubility)
-half-life reports vary 3-5 hrs?. Reported half-life varies by formulation and species; several studies report multi-hour systemic persistence.
BioAv -hydrophobic molecule with relatively poor water solubility.
Main Cancer action
-Direct mitochondrial targeting in cancer cells
-Minimal effect on normal cells

Key pathways
-Mitochondrial membrane permeabilization
-ROS-mediated apoptosis
-Caspase-independent death

Chemo relevance: Generally compatible, Not a redox buffer

Pathways:
- often induce ROS production
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells(Often associated with reduced redox buffering capacity in tumor cells (e.g., GSH depletion); NRF2 direction model-dependent.): NRF2↓, SOD↓, GSH↓
- May Raise AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑ Reports suggest relative sparing of normal cells and preservation of antioxidant capacity in some models
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓(typ), COX2↓, p38↓ (context-dependent; often stress-activated), Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : , MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, TIMP2, IGF-1↓, VEGF↓, ROCK1↓, FAK↓, NF-κB↓, TGF-β↓, α-SMA↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : P53↑, HSP↓(model-dependent), Sp proteins↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis (secondary to mitochondrial stress) ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, HK2↓, ECAR↓, GRP78↑(ER stress), GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, EGFR↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells in some studies : CSC↓, GLi1↓, β-catenin↓, OCT4↓,
- Others: PI3K↓(typ), AKT↓(typ), JAK↓, STAT↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK↓(AMPK is often activated during metabolic stress), ERK↓, JNK,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,
- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondrial-mediated) ↑ mitochondria depolarization; ↑ cytochrome-c; ↑ caspase-9/3 activation ↔ limited activation (higher exposure required) R, G Execution of apoptosis Betulinic acid (BA) is well known to engage the intrinsic apoptotic cascade, typically downstream of redox and signaling perturbations.
2 ROS / redox stress ↑ ROS (P→R) ↔ basal or antioxidant adaptation in some contexts P, R Stress induction Many studies report ROS elevation in tumor cells exposed to BA; the direction and magnitude vary by cell type and exposure.
3 Mitochondrial permeability transition / ΔΨm loss ΔΨm ↓ (R→G) ↔ maintained R, G Mitochondrial failure Often observed as an early event preceding caspase activation in apoptosis studies.
4 PI3K / AKT / mTOR survival axis ↓ PI3K/AKT signaling; ↓ phospho-mTOR R, G Survival/growth suppression Betulinic acid often downregulates pro-survival kinase signaling, sensitizing cells to apoptosis and cytostasis.
5 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activity R, G Pro-survival/inflammatory transcription suppression Reduction in NF-κB activity limits pro-survival gene expression; supports sensitization to stressors.
6 MAPK re-wiring (JNK / ERK / p38) Stress-MAPK shifts; JNK/p38 often ↑; ERK context-dependent P, R Early stress signaling MAPK responses vary by model, with stress-associated p38/JNK often activated and ERK modulation variable.
7 Cell-cycle checkpoints (p21, p27, cyclins) ↑ p21/p27; ↑ G1/S or G2/M arrest G Proliferation arrest BA often induces cell-cycle blockade, slowing proliferation before apoptosis commitment.
8 Angiogenic signaling (VEGF & related) ↓ VEGF; anti-angiogenic outputs G Anti-angiogenic support Typically seen at the level of reduced pro-angiogenic factor expression or secretion in longer-term assays.
9 EMT / invasion / migration programs (MMPs) ↓ MMP2/MMP9; ↓ migration/invasion G Anti-invasive phenotype Often measured as reduced invasive capacity and decreased expression of EMT markers in later time points.
10 Autophagy modulation ↑ LC3-II; ↑ autophagic flux (model dependent) G Adaptive clearance / cell fate shift BA can modulate autophagy, which may either sensitize cells to death pathways or reflect adaptive stress responses.

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

  • P: 0–30 min (primary/physical-chemical effects; rapid kinase/redox signaling)
  • R: 30 min–3 hr (acute redox and stress-response activation)
  • G: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotypic outcomes)


PKM2, Pyruvate Kinase, Muscle 2: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type: enzyme
PKM2 (Pyruvate Kinase, Muscle 2) is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in glycolysis, the process by which cells convert glucose into energy. PKM2 is a key regulatory enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, and it is primarily expressed in various tissues, including muscle, brain, and cancer cells.
-C-myc is a common oncogene that enhances aerobic glycolysis in the cancer cells by transcriptionally activating GLUT1, HK2, PKM2 and LDH-A
-PKM2 has been shown to be overexpressed in many types of tumors, including breast, lung, and colon cancer. This overexpression may contribute to the development and progression of cancer by promoting glycolysis and energy production in cancer cells.
-inhibition of PKM2 may cause ATP depletion and inhibiting glycolysis.
-PK exists in four isoforms: PKM1, PKM2, PKR, and PKL
-PKM2 plays a role in the regulation of glucose metabolism in diabetes.
-PKM2 is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy.
– Pyruvate kinase catalyzes the final, rate-limiting step of glycolysis, converting phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to pyruvate with the production of ATP.
– The PKM2 isoform is uniquely regulated and can exist in both highly active tetrameric and less active dimeric forms.
– Cancer cells often favor the dimeric form of PKM2 to slow pyruvate production, thereby accumulating upstream glycolytic intermediates that can be diverted into anabolic pathways to support cell growth and proliferation.
– Under low oxygen conditions, cancer cells rely on altered metabolic pathways in which PKM2 is a key player. – The shift to aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) orchestrated in part by PKM2 helps tumor cells survive and grow in hypoxic conditions.

– Elevated expression of PKM2 is frequently observed in many cancer types, including lung, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers.
– High levels of PKM2 are often correlated with enhanced tumor aggressiveness, poor differentiation, and advanced clinical stage.

PKM2 in carcinogenesis and oncotherapy

Inhibitors of PKM2:
-Shikonin, Resveratrol, Baicalein, EGCG, Apigenin, Curcumin, Ursolic Acid, Citrate (best known as an allosteric inhibitor of phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1), a key rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis) potential to directly inhibit or modulate PKM2 is less well established

Full List of PKM2 inhibitors from Database
-key connected observations: Glycolysis↓, lactateProd↓, ROS↑ in cancer cell, while some result for opposite effect on normal cells.
Tumor pyruvate kinase M2 modulators

Flavonoids effect on PKM2
Compounds name IC50/AC50uM Effect
Flavonols
1. Fisetin 0.90uM Inhibition
2. Rutin 7.80uM Inhibition
3. Galangin 8.27uM Inhibition
4. Quercetin 9.24uM Inhibition
5. Kaempferol 9.88uM Inhibition
6. Morin hydrate 37.20uM Inhibition
7. Myricetin 0.51uM Activation
8. Quercetin 3-b- D-glucoside 1.34uM Activation
9. Quercetin 3-D -galactoside 27-107uM Ineffective
Flavanons
10. Neoeriocitrin 0.65uM Inhibition
11. Neohesperidin 14.20uM Inhibition
12. Naringin 16.60uM Inhibition
13. Hesperidin 17.30uM Inhibition
14. Hesperitin 29.10uM Inhibition
15. Naringenin 70.80uM Activation
Flavanonols
16. (-)-Catechin gallateuM 0.85 Inhibition
17. (±)-Taxifolin 1.16uM Inhibition
18. (-)-Epicatechin 1.33uM Inhibition
19. (+)-Gallocatechin 4-16uM Ineffective
Phenolic acids
20. Ferulic 11.4uM Inhibition
21. Syringic and 13.8uM Inhibition
22. Caffeic acid 36.3uM Inhibition
23. 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid 78.7uM Inhibition
24. Gallic acid 332.6uM Inhibition
25. Shikimic acid 990uM Inhibition
26. p-Coumaric acid 22.2uM Activation
27. Sinapinic acids 26.2uM Activation
28. Vanillic 607.9uM Activation


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2740- BetA,    Effects and mechanisms of fatty acid metabolism-mediated glycolysis regulated by betulinic acid-loaded nanoliposomes in colorectal cancer
- in-vitro, CRC, HCT116
TumCP↓, BA-NLs significantly suppressed the proliferation and glucose uptake of CRC cells by regulating potential glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism targets and pathways, which forms the basis of the anti-CRC function of BA-NLs.
Glycolysis↓,
HK2↓, HK2, PFK-1, PEP and PK isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) in glycolysis, and of ACSL1, CPT1a and PEP in fatty acid metabolism, were blocked by BA-NLs, which play key roles in the inhibition of glycolysis and fatty acid-mediated production of pyruvate and lactate.
PFK1↓,
PKM2↓,
ACSL1↓,
CPT1A↓,
FASN↓,
FAO↓, Significant reduction of FAO was detected in BA-NL-treated HCT116 cells
GlucoseCon↓, glucose uptake in HCT116 cells was significantly decreased by BA-NLs
lactateProd↓, lactic acid secretion was significantly suppressed in HCT116 cells treated with BA-NLs


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

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

ACSL1↓, 1,   CPT1A↓, 1,   FAO↓, 1,   FASN↓, 1,   GlucoseCon↓, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 1,   HK2↓, 1,   lactateProd↓, 1,   PFK1↓, 1,   PKM2↓, 1,  

Migration

TumCP↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 11

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: PKM2, Pyruvate Kinase, Muscle 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#:42  Target#:772  State#:%  Dir#:%
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