| Rank | Pathway / Axis | Cancer Cells | Normal Cells | TSF | Primary Effect | Notes / Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROS / redox stress (context-selective) | Often ↑ ROS / oxidative stress susceptibility (P→R→G) | Often antioxidant / cytoprotective in inflammatory stress contexts (R→G) | P, R, G | Stress amplifier / selectivity gate | Net ROS direction is highly context- and extract-dependent; propolis chemistry varies by geography/plant source and can shift redox behavior. |
| 2 | NF-κB inflammatory transcription | ↓ NF-κB activity (R→G) | Anti-inflammatory signaling in immune/tissue contexts (R→G) | R, G | Anti-inflammatory / anti-survival transcription | A common “hub” claim across propolis literature; contributes to reduced cytokine/pro-survival programs. |
| 3 | Intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondria → caspases) | ↑ apoptosis; ↑ caspase activation (G) | ↔ (usually less activation) | G | Cell death execution | Often downstream of sustained stress signaling and/or survival pathway suppression. |
| 4 | MAPK re-wiring (ERK / p38 / JNK) | Stress MAPK shifts; JNK/p38 often ↑ with stress (P→R); ERK variable | ↔ / context-dependent | P, R, G | Signal reprogramming | MAPK directions depend on extract composition, dose, and tumor type; best described as “re-wiring” rather than fixed arrows for ERK. |
| 5 | PI3K → AKT (± mTOR) | ↓ PI3K/AKT survival signaling (R→G) | ↔ | R, G | Growth/survival suppression | Often reported alongside reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis susceptibility. |
| 6 | Nrf2 / antioxidant response (HO-1, GSH enzymes) | Context-dependent (may be ↓ in tumor-stress settings; may be ↑ as adaptation) | Often ↑ protective antioxidant response under stress | R, G | Adaptive buffering | Nrf2 direction is not universal; avoid absolute “Nrf2 always ↑/↓” statements for propolis. |
| 7 | Angiogenesis (VEGF and related factors) | ↓ angiogenic signaling outputs (G) | ↔ | G | Anti-angiogenic support | Usually shows up in later gene-expression / phenotype assays rather than early signaling. |
| 8 | EMT / invasion / migration (MMPs, EMT markers) | ↓ EMT / ↓ migration & invasion programs (G) | ↔ | G | Anti-invasive phenotype | Often measured as reduced MMP activity and reduced migration/invasion phenotypes; timing tends to be later. |
| 9 | Antimicrobial / microbiome-relevant effects | Indirect (may reduce infection-driven inflammation) | Direct antimicrobial activity (context) | R, G | Host-protective / anti-infective | Propolis has documented antibacterial activity (stronger vs many Gram+ than Gram− in classic reports), which can matter for inflammation-linked biology. |
| 10 | Key bioactives (CAPE; flavonoids/phenolics) | CAPE-class compounds: tumor-selective cytotoxicity reported (G) | ↔ | G | “Active fraction” concept | Propolis is a mixture; effects may be driven by a few high-impact phenolics (e.g., CAPE) and vary by extract standardization. |
Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G