Honokiol / TumCI 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

Honokiol — a small, lipophilic biphenolic neolignan isolated principally from the bark, seed cones, and leaves of Magnolia species, especially Magnolia officinalis. It is a natural-product small molecule rather than a standardized Magnolia extract; the standard abbreviation is HNK. Honokiol crosses biological membranes readily and has documented CNS penetration, but its pharmaceutical development is constrained by extremely poor aqueous solubility, rapid metabolism, and low/variable oral systemic exposure. Cancer research is dominated by cell and animal studies, although an oral Phase I window-of-opportunity study in patients with resectable early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer is now enrolling.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Mitochondrial targeting and respiratory Complex I inhibition, producing mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of membrane potential, energetic stress, and intrinsic apoptosis in susceptible cancer cells.
  2. Suppression of oncogenic survival signaling, particularly STAT3 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR, with additional inhibition of EGFR and context-dependent MAPK signaling.
  3. Induction of mitochondrial ROS and oxidative stress in cancer cells as a major stress-amplifying mechanism; in nonmalignant tissues honokiol can instead activate antioxidant and mitochondrial-protective programs including SIRT3 and NRF2.
  4. Suppression of NF-κB-dependent inflammatory and prosurvival transcription, contributing to apoptosis, reduced inflammatory signaling, and treatment sensitization.
  5. Suppression of EMT, migration, invasion, cancer-stem-cell phenotypes, and angiogenic signaling through STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin, EGFR, HIF-1α, VEGF, Snail/Slug, MMPs, and related networks.
  6. Metabolic inhibition, including suppression of HIF-1α-driven glycolysis, GLUT1, HK2, LDHA and PDK signaling, with reduced glycolytic flux and ATP availability in several tumor models.
  7. Induction of ER stress, autophagy, cell-cycle arrest and, in selected tumor contexts, ferroptosis; these effects appear downstream or context-dependent rather than universal initiating mechanisms.
  8. Chemosensitization, radiosensitization and immune-modulatory effects have been demonstrated preclinically, including enhancement of selected targeted therapies and PD-1/PD-L1-directed approaches.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Native honokiol is highly lipophilic and poorly water-soluble, limiting conventional oral and intravenous delivery. It undergoes extensive metabolic clearance, including conjugation, and systemic exposure after ordinary oral formulations may be substantially lower than concentrations commonly used experimentally. Liposomes, nanoemulsions, micelles, nanoparticles and other delivery systems can substantially improve solubility and exposure. A validated pharmacokinetic study of injectable liposomal honokiol has been reported, but clinically established human anticancer PK targets have not yet been defined.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anticancer studies use approximately 10–60 µM honokiol, with some models requiring still higher concentrations. These concentrations should not automatically be considered achievable following conventional oral supplementation because oral bioavailability is limited and human tumor exposure has not been established. The current Phase I lung-cancer study is therefore important for defining human tolerability, systemic exposure and pharmacodynamic effects rather than demonstrating established therapeutic efficacy.

Clinical evidence status: Predominantly preclinical. Extensive in-vitro and animal anticancer evidence exists across multiple tumor types. Human anticancer efficacy has not been established. A Phase I oral honokiol study in approximately 15 patients with early-stage resectable NSCLC is currently listed by Houston Methodist as enrolling; treatment is given before surgery primarily to determine safety and maximum tolerated dose. Honokiol is not an FDA-approved anticancer drug.

Safety / translation: Preclinical toxicology has generally suggested a comparatively broad therapeutic window, but concentrated honokiol should not be assumed equivalent to historical consumption of Magnolia bark preparations. Potential pharmacokinetic interactions, formulation-dependent exposure, and insufficient controlled human safety data remain major translational limitations. FDA records identify Magnolia cortex extract containing honokiol as having been submitted through the New Dietary Ingredient notification process, but this does not constitute approval of honokiol for cancer treatment.

Honokiol Cancer-Relevant Mechanisms

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Mitochondrial Complex I and intrinsic apoptosis ↓ Complex I; ↓ ΔΨm; ↓ respiration; ↑ cytochrome-c; ↑ caspases ↔ or mitochondrial protection (context-dependent) P/R Mitochondria-directed cytotoxicity A particularly strong mechanistic feature of honokiol; mitochondrial accumulation and respiratory inhibition can precede downstream apoptotic signaling.
2 STAT3 survival and stemness signaling ↓ STAT3; ↓ p-STAT3; ↓ mitochondrial STAT3 ↔ (context-dependent) R/G Loss of survival, proliferation and stemness signaling Relevant across several cancer models and linked to reduced CSC phenotype, EMT and resistance.
3 PI3K AKT mTOR signaling ↓ PI3K; ↓ AKT; ↓ mTOR ↔ or adaptive modulation R/G Growth and anabolic suppression Frequently observed and contributes to apoptosis, metabolic stress and treatment sensitization.
4 Mitochondrial ROS increase ↑ ROS; ↑ mt-ROS (secondary) ↓ ROS or ↔ (context-dependent) P/R Oxidative stress amplification Cancer-cell ROS elevation often accompanies mitochondrial respiratory disruption. Honokiol can instead act antioxidatively in nonmalignant tissues.
5 NF-κB inflammatory and survival signaling ↓ NF-κB; ↓ COX-2; ↓ inflammatory survival signaling ↓ pathological inflammatory signaling R/G Reduced inflammatory and prosurvival transcription Provides both anticancer and tissue-protective effects depending on cellular context.
6 EMT invasion and metastasis ↓ EMT; ↓ Snail; ↓ Slug; ↓ MMP2; ↓ MMP9; ↑ E-cadherin ↔ G Reduced migration, invasion and metastasis Supported across breast, lung, renal, pancreatic and other tumor models.
7 Cancer stem cell signaling ↓ CSCs; ↓ CD133; ↓ SOX2; ↓ OCT4; ↓ Nestin; ↓ Wnt/β-catenin ↔ G Reduced tumor-initiating and resistant cell phenotype Closely overlaps STAT3, EGFR, Notch and Wnt pathway inhibition.
8 HIF-1α glycolytic metabolism ↓ HIF-1α; ↓ GLUT1; ↓ HK2; ↓ LDHA; ↓ PDK1; ↓ ECAR; ↓ glycolysis ↔ (context-dependent) G Reduced glycolytic flux and ATP production Especially relevant in glycolysis-dependent and hypoxic tumors.
9 EGFR and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling ↓ EGFR; ↓ downstream AKT and ERK ↔ R/G Growth-factor signal suppression Honokiol can also impair EGFR stability through HDAC6/HSP90-associated mechanisms.
10 Angiogenesis and hypoxia response ↓ VEGF; ↓ HIF-1α; ↓ angiogenesis ↔ G Reduced tumor vascular support Largely downstream of HIF-1α, NF-κB and growth-factor suppression.
11 ER stress and calcium signaling ↑ ER stress; ↑ GRP78; ↑ CHOP; ↑ Ca²⁺ (model-dependent) ↔ or protective stress response R/G Proteotoxic stress and apoptosis Prominent in selected osteosarcoma and other experimental models rather than universal across cancers.
12 Cell cycle regulation ↑ G0/G1 or G2/M arrest; ↓ cyclin D1; ↓ CDK2; ↓ CDK4; ↓ CDK6 ↔ G Cytostatic growth suppression Checkpoint phenotype depends on tumor type and upstream signaling context.
13 Ferroptosis and lipid peroxidation ↑ ferroptosis; ↑ lipid peroxidation; GPX4 modulation (model-dependent) ↔ G Alternative regulated cell death GPX4 direction is not uniform across studies; HMOX1-associated and GPX4-associated ferroptosis have both been reported.
14 NRF2 antioxidant response ↔ or ↑ (model-dependent) ↑ NRF2; ↑ antioxidant defenses R/G Secondary tissue-protective redox response NRF2 activation is more compelling as a normal-cell or neuroprotective mechanism than as a core anticancer mechanism.
15 SIRT3 mitochondrial protection ↑ SIRT3 (context-dependent) ↑ SIRT3; ↑ mitochondrial resilience; ↓ oxidative injury R/G Context-dependent mitochondrial regulation Important for cardioprotective and neuroprotective effects; its cancer role can vary with tumor context because SIRT3 itself has context-dependent tumor biology.
16 Chemosensitization and targeted-therapy sensitization ↑ treatment sensitivity (drug-dependent) ↔ or tissue protection G Combination-treatment enhancement Preclinical evidence includes chemotherapy, cetuximab, mTOR inhibitors and immune-checkpoint strategies.
17 Radiosensitization ↑ radiosensitivity (model-dependent) ↔ or radioprotection (context-dependent) G Greater radiation response This apparent duality emphasizes cell type, dose, redox state and treatment timing.
18 Clinical Translation Constraint ↓ achievable exposure with conventional formulations Systemic safety incompletely characterized in humans G Bioavailability and evidence limitation Poor aqueous solubility, extensive metabolism, uncertain human tumor exposure and lack of efficacy trials remain central constraints; Phase I investigation is underway.

P: 0–30 min     R: 30 min–3 hr     G: >3 hr



Honokiol and Alzheimer’s disease: Honokiol has meaningful but entirely preclinical relevance to Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegeneration. Its lipophilicity permits CNS penetration, and experimental studies indicate reductions in oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity and Aβ-associated toxicity together with preservation of mitochondrial function. SIRT3, NRF2, PPAR/PGC-1α signaling and restoration of microglial metabolic competence are among the more plausible mechanistic axes. No convincing clinical evidence currently establishes honokiol as an AD treatment.

Evidence level: Preclinical only. Cell and animal studies support neuroprotective and cognition-related effects, but human AD efficacy, dose-response relationships and long-term neurological safety have not been demonstrated.

Honokiol Alzheimer’s-Relevant Mechanisms

Rank Pathway / Axis Modulation Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Mitochondrial function and SIRT3 ↑ SIRT3; ↑ mitochondrial function; ↑ ΔΨm Mitochondrial resilience One of the strongest mechanistic links between honokiol and neuronal protection.
2 Oxidative stress and NRF2 ↓ ROS; ↑ NRF2; ↑ antioxidant defenses Reduced oxidative injury Direction differs from the pro-oxidant stress frequently induced by honokiol in cancer cells.
3 Microglial metabolism and phagocytosis ↑ PPARα; ↑ PGC-1α; ↑ OXPHOS; ↑ phagocytosis Improved microglial metabolic function Experimental evidence suggests reversal of dysfunctional metabolic programming can restore microglial clearance capacity.
4 Amyloid beta toxicity ↓ Aβ-associated toxicity Neuroprotection Supported primarily by experimental models; evidence for modifying human amyloid pathology is absent.
5 Neuroinflammation ↓ NF-κB; ↓ TNF-α; ↓ IL-1β Reduced inflammatory injury Likely overlaps the general anti-inflammatory pharmacology of honokiol.
6 Excitotoxic calcium signaling ↓ pathological Ca²⁺ signaling Reduced excitotoxic neuronal injury Reported neuroprotective actions include modulation of glutamatergic signaling and intracellular calcium overload.
7 Clinical Translation Constraint No demonstrated human AD efficacy Preclinical evidence only BBB penetration is pharmacologically favorable but does not establish an effective or safe human CNS dose.


TumCI, Tumor Cell invasion: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Tumor cell invasion is a critical process in cancer progression and metastasis, where cancer cells spread from the primary tumor to surrounding tissues and distant organs. This process involves several key steps and mechanisms:

1.Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT): Many tumors originate from epithelial cells, which are typically organized in layers. During EMT, these cells lose their epithelial characteristics (such as cell-cell adhesion) and gain mesenchymal traits (such as increased motility). This transition is crucial for invasion.

2.Degradation of Extracellular Matrix (ECM): Tumor cells secrete enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), that degrade the ECM, allowing cancer cells to invade surrounding tissues. This degradation facilitates the movement of cancer cells through the tissue.

3.Cell Migration: Once the ECM is degraded, cancer cells can migrate. They often use various mechanisms, including amoeboid movement and mesenchymal migration, to move through the tissue. This migration is influenced by various signaling pathways and the tumor microenvironment.

4.Angiogenesis: As tumors grow, they require a blood supply to provide nutrients and oxygen. Tumor cells can stimulate the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) through the release of growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This not only supports tumor growth but also provides a route for cancer cells to enter the bloodstream.

5.Invasion into Blood Vessels (Intravasation): Cancer cells can invade nearby blood vessels, allowing them to enter the circulatory system. This step is crucial for metastasis, as it enables cancer cells to travel to distant sites in the body.

6.Survival in Circulation: Once in the bloodstream, cancer cells must survive the immune response and the shear stress of blood flow. They can form clusters with platelets or other cells to evade detection.

7.Extravasation and Colonization: After traveling through the bloodstream, cancer cells can exit the circulation (extravasation) and invade new tissues. They may then establish secondary tumors (metastases) in distant organs.

8.Tumor Microenvironment: The surrounding microenvironment plays a significant role in tumor invasion. Factors such as immune cells, fibroblasts, and signaling molecules can either promote or inhibit invasion and metastasis.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2898- HNK,    Honokiol Suppression of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Positive Gastric Cancer Cell Biological Activity and Its Mechanism
- in-vitro, GC, AGS - in-vitro, GC, NCI-N87 - in-vitro, BC, MGC803 - in-vitro, GC, SGC-7901
TumCP↓, Honokiol suppressed cell proliferation via increasing cell apoptosis, invasion, and migration with dose dependence.
Apoptosis↑,
TumCI↓,
TumCMig↓,
HER2/EBBR2↓, HER2 protein expression was significantly depressed in honokiol-treated groups
TumCCA↑, results show that Hon kept the cell cycle in G1 phase, which might be the cause of the cell apoptosis rate increase.
PI3K↓, PI3K, AKT, and MMP-9 protein and mRNA expression of Hon-treated groups were significantly suppressed
Akt↓,
MMP9↓,
P21↑, increase P21 protein and gene expression

2897- HNK,    Honokiol Inhibits Proliferation, Invasion and Induces Apoptosis Through Targeting Lyn Kinase in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells
- in-vitro, Lung, PC9 - in-vitro, Lung, A549
TumCP↓, Honokiol Inhibits Cell Proliferation in Both A549 Cells and PC-9 Cells
Apoptosis↑, Honokiol Induces Apoptosis in PC-9 Cells
EGFR↓, Honokiol Suppresses Lyn Kinase and EGFR Signaling Pathway in PC-9 Cells
PI3K↓, led to a reduction of EGFR/PI3K/AKT and STAT3, and their phosphorylation status.
Akt↓,
STAT3↓,
TumCI↓, honokiol inhibits PC-9 cell proliferation, invasion and induces apoptosis through targeting Lyn kinase and Lyn-mediated EGFR signaling pathway.
TNF-α↑, Honokiol has efficacy to enhance the activation of TNF-α, in this way, honokiol inhibits activation of NF-κB and Akt. As a result, honokiol dramatically decreases expression level of NF-κB target genes, such as VEGF, MMP-9, and COX-2.
NF-kB↓,
VEGF↓,
MMP9↓,
COX2/PTGS2↓,

7458- HNK,    Honokiol induces ferroptosis in ovarian cancer cells through the regulation of YAP by OTUB2
- in-vitro, Ovarian, OVCAR-3
TumCP↓, Honokiol has an inhibitory effect on proliferation, invasion, and survival of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
TumCI↓,
Ferroptosis↑, Honokiol was capable of inducing ferroptosis in OVCA cells.
YAP/TEAD↓, honokiol induced ferroptosis in OVCA cells via repression of YAP signaling pathway through binding to OTUB2.
OTUB2↓,

7467- HNK,    Honokiol regulates ovarian cancer cell malignant behavior through YAP/TAZ pathway modulation
- vitro+vivo, Oral, NA
tumCV↓, HNK exerted inhibitory effects on the viability and proliferative capacity of OVCA cells, elicited apoptotic responses, curtailed the migratory and invasive tendencies of cells, and downregulated the YAP/TAZ pathway
TumCP↓,
TumCMig↓,
TumCI↓,
YAP/TEAD↓,
TAZ↓,
TumCG↓, Experiments in vivo confirmed that HNK inhibited OVCA tumor growth.

2864- HNK,    Honokiol: A Review of Its Anticancer Potential and Mechanisms
- Review, Var, NA
TumCCA↑, induction of G0/G1 and G2/M cell cycle arrest
CDK2↓, (via the regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and cyclin proteins),
EMT↓, epithelial–mesenchymal transition inhibition via the downregulation of mesenchymal markers
MMPs↓, honokiol possesses the capability to supress cell migration and invasion via the downregulation of several matrix-metalloproteinases
AMPK↑, (activation of 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and KISS1/KISS1R signalling)
TumCI↓, inhibiting cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, as well as inducing anti-angiogenesis activity (via the down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
TumCMig↓,
TumMeta↓,
VEGFR2/KDR/Flk1↓,
*antiOx↑, diverse biological activities, including anti-arrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-depressant, anti-thrombocytic, and anxiolytic activities
*Inflam↓,
*BBB↑, Due to its ability to cross the blood–brain barrier
*neuroP↑, beneficial towards neuronal protection through various mechanism, such as the preservation of Na+/K+ ATPase, phosphorylation of pro-survival factors, preservation of mitochondria, prevention of glucose, reactive oxgen species (ROS), and inflammatory
*ROS↓,
Dose↝, Generally, the concentrations used for the in vitro studies are between 0–150 μM
selectivity↑, Interestingly, honokiol has been shown to exhibit minimal cytotoxicity against on normal cell lines, including human fibroblast FB-1, FB-2, Hs68, and NIH-3T3 cells
Casp3↑, ↑ Caspase-3 & caspase-9
Casp9↑,
NOTCH1↓, Inhibition of Notch signalling: ↓ Notch1 & Jagged-1;
cycD1/CCND1↓, ↓ cyclin D1 & c-Myc;
cMyc↓,
P21?, ↑ p21WAF1 protein
DR5↑, ↑ DR5 & cleaved PARP
cl‑PARP↑,
P53↑, ↑ phosphorylated p53 & p53
Mcl-1↑, ↓ Mcl-1 protein
p65↓, ↓ p65; ↓ NF-κB
NF-kB↓,
ROS↑, ↑ JNK activation ,Increase ROS activity:
JNK↑,
NRF2↑, ↑ Nrf2 & c-Jun protein activation
cJun↑,
EF-1α↓, ↓ EFGR; ↓ MAPK/PI3K pathway activity
MAPK↓,
PI3K↓,
mTORC1↓, ↓ mTORC1 function; ↑ LKB1 & cytosolic localisation
CSCs↓, Inhibit stem-like characteristics: ↓ Oct4, Nanog & Sox4 protein; ↓ STAT3;
OCT4↓,
Nanog↓,
SOX4↓,
STAT3↓,
CDK4↓, ↓ Cdk2, Cdk4 & p-pRbSer780;
p‑RB1↓,
PGE2↓, ↓ PGE2 production ↓ COX-2 ↑ β-catenin
COX2/PTGS2↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↑,
IKKα↓, ↓ IKKα
HDAC↓, ↓ class I HDAC proteins; ↓ HDAC activity;
HATs↑, ↑ histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity; ↑ histone H3 & H4
H3↑,
H4↑,
LC3II↑, ↑ LC3-II
c-Raf↓, ↓ c-RAF
SIRT3↑, ↑ Sirt3 mRNA & protein; ↓ Hif-1α protein
Hif1a↓,
ER Stress↑, ↑ ER stress signalling pathway activation; ↑ GRP78,
GRP78/BiP↑,
cl‑CHOP/DDIT3↑, ↑ cleaved caspase-9 & CHOP;
MMP↓, mitochondrial depolarization
PCNA↓, ↓ cyclin B1, cyclin D1, cyclin D2 & PCNA;
Zeb1↓, ↓ ZEB2 Inhibit
NOTCH3↓, ↓ Notch3/Hes1 pathway
CD133↓, ↓ CD133 & Nestin protein
Nestin↓,
ATG5↑, ↑ Atg7 protein activation; ↑ Atg5;
ATG7↑,
survivin↓, ↓ Mcl-1 & survivin protein
ChemoSen↑, honokiol potentiated the apoptotic effect of both doxorubicin and paclitaxel against human liver cancer HepG2 cells.
SOX2↓, Honokiol was shown to downregulate the expression of Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 which were known to be expressed in osteosarcoma, breast carcinoma and germ cell tumours
OS↑, Lipo-HNK was also shown to prolong survival and induce intra-tumoral apoptosis in vivo.
P-gp/ABCB1↓, Honokiol was shown to downregulate the expression of P-gp at mRNA and protein levels in MCF-7/ADR, a human breast MDR cancer cell line
Half-Life↓, For i.v. administration, it has been found that there was a rapid rate of distribution followed by a slower rate of elimination (elimination half-life t1/2 = 49.22 min and 56.2 min for 5 mg or 10 mg of honokiol, respectively
Half-Life↝, male and female dogs was assessed. The elimination half-life (t1/2 in hours) was found to be 20.13 (female), 9.27 (female), 7.06 (male), 4.70 (male), and 1.89 (male) after administration of doses of 8.8, 19.8, 3.9, 44.4, and 66.7 mg/kg, respectively.
eff↑, Apart from that, epigallocatechin-3-gallate functionalized chitin loaded with honokiol nanoparticles (CE-HK NP), developed by Tang et al. [224], inhibit HepG2
BioAv↓, extensive biotransformation of honokiol may contribute to its low bioavailability.

1153- HNK,    Honokiol Eliminates Glioma/Glioblastoma Stem Cell-Like Cells via JAK-STAT3 Signaling and Inhibits Tumor Progression by Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor
- in-vitro, GBM, U251 - in-vitro, GBM, U87MG - in-vivo, NA, NA
tumCV↓,
Apoptosis↑,
TumCMig↓,
TumCI↓,
Bcl-2↓,
EGFR↓,
CD133↓,
Nestin↓,
Akt↓,
ERK↓,
Casp3↑,
p‑STAT3↓,
TumCG↓, in vivo

2885- HNK,    Honokiol: a novel natural agent for cancer prevention and therapy
NF-kB↓, Honokiol targets multiple signaling pathways including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), signal transducers and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mammalian target of rapamycin (m-TOR)
STAT3↓,
EGFR↓,
mTOR↓,
BioAv↝, honokiol has revealed a desirable spectrum of bioavailability after intravenous administration in animal models, thus making it a suitable agent for clinical trials
Inflam↓, inflammation, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis.
TumCP↓,
angioG↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
cSrc↓, STAT3 inhibition by honokiol has also been correlated with the repression of upstream protein tyrosine kinases c-Src, JAK1 and JAK2
JAK1↓,
JAK2↓,
ERK↓, by inhibiting ERK and Akt pathways (31) or by upregulation of PTEN
Akt↓,
PTEN↑,
ChemoSen↑, Chemopreventive/ chemotherapeutic effects of honokiol in various malignancies: preclinical studies
chemoP↑,
COX2/PTGS2↓, honokiol was found to inhibit UVB-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin E2, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the skin
PGE2↓,
TNF-α↓,
IL1β↓,
IL6↓,
Casp3↑, release of caspases-3, -8 and -9as well as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage and p53 activation upon honokiol treatment that led to DNA fragmentation
Casp8↑,
Casp9↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
DNAdam↑,
Cyt‑c↑, translocation of cytochrome c to cytosol in human melanoma cell lines
RadioS↑, liposomal honokiol for 24 h showed a higher radiation enhancement ratio (~ two-fold) as compared to the radiation alone,
RAS↓, Honokiol also caused suppression of Ras activation
BBB↑, honokiol could effectively cross BBB and BCSFB and inhibit brain tumor growth
BioAv↓, Due to the concerns about poor aqueous solubility, liposomal formulations of honokiol have been developed and tested for their pharmacokinetics
Half-Life↝, In another comparative study, plasma honokiol concentrations was maintained above 30 and 10 μg/mL for 24 and 48 hours, respectively, in liposomal honokiol-treated mice, whereas it fell quickly (less than 5 μg/mL) by 12 hours in free honokiol-treated
Half-Life↝, free honokiol has poor GIT absorption, bio-transformed in liver to mono-glucuronide honokiol and sulphated mono-hydroxyhonokiol, ~ 50% is secreted in bile, ~ 60-65% plasma protein bound with elimination half life of (t1/2) of 49.05 – 56.24 minutes.
toxicity↓, These studies suggest that honokiol either alone or as a part of magnolia bark extract does not induce toxicity in animal models and thus could be clinically safe

2882- HNK,    Honokiol Suppresses Perineural Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer by Inhibiting SMAD2/3 Signaling
- in-vitro, PC, PANC1
TumCI↓, HNK can inhibit the invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer cells.
TumCMig↓,
p‑SMAD2↓, partially mediated by inhibition of SMAD2/3 phosphorylation.
p‑SMAD3↓,
EMT↓, HNK Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Malignant Behaviors and EMT
N-cadherin↓, expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin was gradually downregulated, while HNK promoted the expression of E-cadherin in PANC-1
Vim↓,
E-cadherin↑,
Snail↓, HNK can inhibit breast cancer cell metastasis by blocking EMT through downregulating Snail/Slug protein translation
Slug↓,
Rho↓, Honokiol inhibits the migration of renal cell carcinoma through activation of the RhoA/ROCK/MLC signaling pathway
ROCK1↓,

2881- HNK,    Honokiol Suppressed Pancreatic Cancer Progression via miR-101/Mcl-1 Axis
- in-vitro, PC, PANC1
tumCV↓, Honokiol concentration-dependently suppressed pancreatic cancer cell viability.
Casp3↑, honokiol increased the caspase-3 activity and cell apoptotic rates, induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and inhibited cell invasion in pancreatic cancer.
Apoptosis↑,
TumCCA↑,
TumCI↓,
Mcl-1↓, up-regulated miR-101 expression but down-regulated Mcl-1 expression in tumor tissues.
EMT↓, Recent studies reported honokiol inhibits cancer metastasis by blocking EMT through modulation of Snail/Slug protein translation

2878- HNK,    Suppressing migration and invasion of H1299 lung cancer cells by honokiol through disrupting expression of an HDAC6-mediated matrix metalloproteinase 9
- in-vitro, Lung, H1299
TumCMig↓, migration and invasion ability of H1299 lung cancer was suppressed by noncytotoxic concentrations of honokiol treatment.
TumCI↓,
MMP9↓, proteolytic activity of MMP-9, rather than MMP-2, was inhibited in honokiol-treated H1299 cells.
α-tubulin↑, Furthermore, the expression of specific histone deacetylases 6 (HDAC6) substrate, acetyl-α-tubulin, was accumulated after honokiol incubation
HDAC6↓, suppression of migration and invasion activities by honokiol was through inhibiting HDAC6-mediated Hsp90/MMP-9 interaction and followed by MMP-9 degradation in lung cancer.
HSP90↓, Honokiol-suppressed MMP-9 expression was through the inhibition of HDAC6/Hsp90 signaling pathway

2874- HNK,    Suppressing migration and invasion of H1299 lung cancer cells by honokiol through disrupting expression of an HDAC6‐mediated matrix metalloproteinase 9
- in-vitro, Lung, H1299
MMP9↓, Honokiol‐inhibited MMP‐9 expression was through promoting MMP‐9 protein degradation rather than suppressing transcription mechanism
α-tubulin↑, Furthermore, the expression of specific histone deacetylases 6 (HDAC6) substrate, acetyl‐α‐tubulin, was accumulated after honokiol incubation.
TumCI↓, honokiol‐suppressed MMP‐9 expression and invasion ability of H1299 lung cancer cells
HDAC6↓, Honokiol‐suppressed MMP‐9 expression was through the inhibition of HDAC6/Hsp90 signaling pathway
HSP90↓,
TumCMig↓, Honokiol inhibited lung cancer cell migration and invasion
EGFR↓, Honokiol has been verified to inhibit the EGFR‐mediated signaling pathwa

2868- HNK,    Honokiol: A review of its pharmacological potential and therapeutic insights
- Review, Var, NA - Review, Sepsis, NA
*P-gp/ABCB1↓, reduction in the expression of defective proteins like P-glycoproteins, inhibition of oxidative stress, suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-10 and IL-6),
*ROS↓,
*TNF-α↓,
*IL10↓,
*IL6↓,
eIF2α↑, Bcl-2, phosphorylated eIF2α, CHOP,GRP78, Bax, cleaved caspase-9 and phosphorylated PERK
CHOP/DDIT3↑,
GRP78/BiP↑,
BAX↑,
cl‑Casp9↑,
p‑PERK↑,
ER Stress↑, endoplasmic reticulum stress and proteins in apoptosis in 95-D and A549 cells
Apoptosis↑,
MMPs↓, decrease in levels of matrix metal-mloproteinases, P-glycoprotein expression, the formation of mammosphere, H3K27 methyltransferase, c-FLIP, level of CXCR4 receptor,pluripotency-factors, Twist-1, class I histone deacetylases, steroid receptor co
cFLIP↓,
CXCR4↓,
Twist↓,
HDAC↓,
BMPs↑, enhancement in Bax protein, and (BMP7), as well as interference with an activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), (mTOR), (EGFR), (NF-kB) and Shh
p‑STAT3↓, secreased the phosphorylation of STAT3
mTOR↓,
EGFR↓,
NF-kB↓,
Shh↓,
VEGF↓, induce apoptosis, and regulate the vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression (VEGF-A)
tumCV↓, human glioma cell lines (U251 and U-87 MG) through inhibition of colony formation, glioma cell viability, cell migration, invasion, suppression of ERK and AKT signalling cascades, apoptosis induction, and reduction of Bcl-2 expression.
TumCMig↓,
TumCI↓,
ERK↓,
Akt↓,
Bcl-2↓,
Nestin↓, increased the Bax expression, lowered the CD133, EGFR, and Nesti
CD133↓,
p‑cMET↑, HKL through the downregulating the phosphorylation of c-Met phosphorylation and stimulation of Ras,
RAS↑,
chemoP↑, Cheng and coworker determined the chemopreventive role of HKL against the proliferation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) 786‑0 cells through multiple mechanism
*NRF2↑, , HKL also effectively activate the Nrf2/ARE pathway and reverse this pancreatic dysfunction in in vivo and in vitro model
*NADPH↓, (HUVECs) such as inhibition of NADPH oxidase activity, suppression of p22 (phox) protein expression, Rac-1 phosphorylation, reactive oxygen species production, inhibition of degradation of Ikappa-B-alpha, and suppression of activity of of NF-kB
*p‑Rac1↓,
*ROS↓,
*IKKα↑,
*NF-kB↓,
*COX2/PTGS2↓, Furthermore, HKL treatment the inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX-2) upregulation, reduces prostaglandin E2 production, enhanced caspase-3 activity reduction
*PGE2↓,
*Casp3↓,
*hepatoP↑, compound also displayed hepatoprotective action against oxidative injury in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-injured AML12 liver cells in in vitro model
*antiOx↑, compound reduces the level of acetylation on SOD2 to stimulate its antioxidative action, which results in reduced reactive oxygen species aggregation in AML12 cells
*GSH↑, HKL prevents oxidative damage induced by H2O2 via elevating antioxidant enzymes levels which includes glutathione and catalase and promotes translocation and activation transcription factor Nrf2
*Catalase↑,
*RenoP↑, imilarly, the compound protects renal reperfusion/i-schemia injury (IRI) in adult male albino Wistar rats via reducing theactivities of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotrans- ferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
*ALP↓,
*AST↓,
*ALAT↓,
*neuroP↑, Several reports and works have shown that HKL displays some neuroprotective properties
*cardioP↑, Cardioprotection
*HO-1↑, the expression level of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)was remarkably up-regulated and miR-218-5p was significantly down-regulated in septic mice treated with HKL
*Inflam↓, anti-inflammatory action of HKL at dose of 10 mg/kg in the muscle layer of mice


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 12 of 12

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 12

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


NA, unassigned(tgid=0) ⓘ

OTUB2↓, 1,  

Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

Ferroptosis↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↑, 1,   SIRT3↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics(tgid=3) ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,   c-Raf↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis(tgid=4) ⓘ

AMPK↑, 1,   ATG7↑, 1,   cMyc↓, 1,  

Cell Death(tgid=5) ⓘ

Akt↓, 5,   Apoptosis↑, 5,   BAX↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Casp3↑, 4,   Casp8↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 2,   cl‑Casp9↑, 1,   cFLIP↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   DR5↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 1,   Mcl-1↓, 1,   Mcl-1↑, 1,   survivin↓, 1,   YAP/TEAD↓, 2,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction(tgid=6) ⓘ

cSrc↓, 1,   EF-1α↓, 1,   HER2/EBBR2↓, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics(tgid=7) ⓘ

cJun↑, 1,   H3↑, 1,   H4↑, 1,   HATs↑, 1,   tumCV↓, 4,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress(tgid=8) ⓘ

CHOP/DDIT3↑, 1,   cl‑CHOP/DDIT3↑, 1,   eIF2α↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 2,   GRP78/BiP↑, 2,   HSP90↓, 2,   p‑PERK↑, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes(tgid=9) ⓘ

ATG5↑, 1,   LC3II↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair(tgid=10) ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,   P53↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 2,   PCNA↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence(tgid=11) ⓘ

CDK2↓, 1,   CDK4↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   P21?, 1,   P21↑, 1,   p‑RB1↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 3,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State(tgid=12) ⓘ

CD133↓, 3,   p‑cMET↑, 1,   CSCs↓, 1,   EMT↓, 3,   ERK↓, 3,   HDAC↓, 2,   HDAC6↓, 2,   mTOR↓, 2,   mTORC1↓, 1,   Nanog↓, 1,   Nestin↓, 3,   NOTCH1↓, 1,   NOTCH3↓, 1,   OCT4↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 3,   PTEN↑, 1,   RAS↓, 1,   RAS↑, 1,   Shh↓, 1,   SOX2↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 3,   p‑STAT3↓, 2,   TAZ↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 2,  

Migration(tgid=13) ⓘ

E-cadherin↑, 1,   MMP9↓, 4,   MMPs↓, 2,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   Rho↓, 1,   ROCK1↓, 1,   Slug↓, 1,   p‑SMAD2↓, 1,   p‑SMAD3↓, 1,   Snail↓, 1,   SOX4↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 12,   TumCMig↓, 8,   TumCP↓, 5,   TumMeta↓, 2,   Twist↓, 1,   Vim↓, 1,   Zeb1↓, 1,   α-tubulin↑, 2,   β-catenin/ZEB1↑, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature(tgid=14) ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,   EGFR↓, 5,   Hif1a↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 2,   VEGFR2/KDR/Flk1↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport(tgid=15) ⓘ

BBB↑, 1,   P-gp/ABCB1↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

COX2/PTGS2↓, 3,   CXCR4↓, 1,   IKKα↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   JAK1↓, 1,   JAK2↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 4,   p65↓, 1,   PGE2↓, 2,   TNF-α↓, 1,   TNF-α↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance(tgid=21) ⓘ

BioAv↓, 2,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 2,   Dose↝, 1,   eff↑, 1,   Half-Life↓, 1,   Half-Life↝, 3,   RadioS↑, 1,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers(tgid=22) ⓘ

BMPs↑, 1,   EGFR↓, 5,   HER2/EBBR2↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

chemoP↑, 2,   OS↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 136

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

antiOx↑, 2,   Catalase↑, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 3,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis(tgid=4) ⓘ

ALAT↓, 1,   NADPH↓, 1,  

Cell Death(tgid=5) ⓘ

Casp3↓, 1,  

Migration(tgid=13) ⓘ

p‑Rac1↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport(tgid=15) ⓘ

BBB↑, 1,   P-gp/ABCB1↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

COX2/PTGS2↓, 1,   IKKα↑, 1,   IL10↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 1,   PGE2↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers(tgid=22) ⓘ

ALAT↓, 1,   ALP↓, 1,   AST↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

cardioP↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 2,   RenoP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 28

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: TumCI, Tumor Cell invasion
12 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#:324  State#:%  Dir#:%
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