Cordycepin Inhibits Drug-resistance Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Activating AMPK Signaling Pathway

Publication date: Available online 8 April 2019Source: Pharmacological ResearchAuthor(s): Chunli Wei, Xiaojun Yao, Zebo Jiang, Yuwei Wang, Dianzheng Zhang, Xi Chen, Xingxing Fan, Chun Xie, Jingliang Cheng, Junjiang Fu, Elaine Lai-Han LeungAbstractLung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and it is also the most leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although multiple generations of targeted therapeutic drugs such as gefitinib and afatinib specifically targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway are currently available for lung cancer treatment, none of them can escape their eventual drug-resistance. As a key component of Cordyceps Sinensis and widely used in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), cordycepin (CD) has attracted increasing attention to both scientists and clinicians. We aimed to explore the potential in developing cordycepin (CD) as an anti-lung cancer drug. A systematic analysis was conducted on a panel of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines to identify the cells sensitive to CD. We found that CD can affect different aspects of lung cancer development including proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle, and apoptosis. We then explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of CD-mediated NSCLC cell apoptosis by conducting a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. We found that in addition to affecting different stages of NSCLC development including tumor growth, migration, and invasion, the CD is capable of inh...
Source: Pharmacological Research - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research