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| 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):
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↓">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
TSF legend: P: 0–30 min R: 30 min–3 hr G: >3 hr |
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| Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules that contain oxygen and can lead to oxidative stress in cells. They play a dual role in cancer biology, acting as both promoters and suppressors of cancer. ROS can cause oxidative damage to DNA, leading to mutations that may contribute to cancer initiation and progression. So normally you want to inhibit ROS to prevent cell mutations. However excessive ROS can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells, potentially limiting tumor growth. Chemotherapy typically raises ROS. -mitochondria is the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (and the ETC is heavily related) "Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two electron reduction products of oxygen, including superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxides, protein peroxides and peroxides formed in nucleic acids 1. They are maintained in a dynamic balance by a series of reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions in biological systems and act as signaling molecules to drive cellular regulatory pathways." "During different stages of cancer formation, abnormal ROS levels play paradoxical roles in cell growth and death 8. A physiological concentration of ROS that maintained in equilibrium is necessary for normal cell survival. Ectopic ROS accumulation promotes cell proliferation and consequently induces malignant transformation of normal cells by initiating pathological conversion of physiological signaling networks. Excessive ROS levels lead to cell death by damaging cellular components, including proteins, lipid bilayers, and chromosomes. Therefore, both scavenging abnormally elevated ROS to prevent early neoplasia and facilitating ROS production to specifically kill cancer cells are promising anticancer therapeutic strategies, in spite of their contradictoriness and complexity." "ROS are the collection of derivatives of molecular oxygen that occur in biology, which can be categorized into two types, free radicals and non-radical species. The non-radical species are hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2 ), organic hydroperoxides (ROOH), singlet molecular oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), electronically excited carbonyl, ozone (O3 ), hypochlorous acid (HOCl, and hypobromous acid HOBr). Free radical species are super-oxide anion radical (O 2•−), hydroxyl radical (•OH), peroxyl radical (ROO•) and alkoxyl radical (RO•) [130]. Any imbalance of ROS can lead to adverse effects. H2 O 2 and O 2 •− are the main redox signalling agents. The cellular concentration of H2 O 2 is about 10−8 M, which is almost a thousand times more than that of O2 •−". "Radicals are molecules with an odd number of electrons in the outer shell [393,394]. A pair of radicals can be formed by breaking a chemical bond or electron transfer between two molecules." Recent investigations have documented that polyphenols with good antioxidant activity may exhibit pro-oxidant activity in the presence of copper ions, which can induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. "We have shown that such cell growth inhibition by polyphenols in cancer cells is reversed by copper-specific sequestering agent neocuproine to a significant extent whereas iron and zinc chelators are relatively ineffective, thus confirming the role of endogenous copper in the cytotoxic action of polyphenols against cancer cells. Therefore, this mechanism of mobilization of endogenous copper." > Ions could be one of the important mechanisms for the cytotoxic action of plant polyphenols against cancer cells and is possibly a common mechanism for all plant polyphenols. In fact, similar results obtained with four different polyphenolic compounds in this study, namely apigenin, luteolin, EGCG, and resveratrol, strengthen this idea. Interestingly, the normal breast epithelial MCF10A cells have earlier been shown to possess no detectable copper as opposed to breast cancer cells [24], which may explain their resistance to polyphenols apigenin- and luteolin-induced growth inhibition as observed here (Fig. 1). We have earlier proposed [25] that this preferential cytotoxicity of plant polyphenols toward cancer cells is explained by the observation made several years earlier, which showed that copper levels in cancer cells are significantly elevated in various malignancies. Thus, because of higher intracellular copper levels in cancer cells, it may be predicted that the cytotoxic concentrations of polyphenols required would be lower in these cells as compared to normal cells." Majority of ROS are produced as a by-product of oxidative phosphorylation, high levels of ROS are detected in almost all cancers. -It is well established that during ER stress, cytosolic calcium released from the ER is taken up by the mitochondrion to stimulate ROS overgeneration and the release of cytochrome c, both of which lead to apoptosis. Note: Products that may raise ROS can be found using this database, by: Filtering on the target of ROS, and selecting the Effect Direction of ↑ Targets to raise ROS (to kill cancer cells): • NADPH oxidases (NOX): NOX enzymes are involved in the production of ROS. -Targeting NOX enzymes can increase ROS levels and induce cancer cell death. -eNOX2 inhibition leads to a high NADH/NAD⁺ ratio which can lead to increased ROS • Mitochondrial complex I: Inhibiting can increase ROS production • P53: Activating p53 can increase ROS levels(by inducing the expression of pro-oxidant genes) • Nrf2 inhibition: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting Nrf2 can increase ROS levels • Glutathione (GSH): an antioxidant. Depleting GSH can increase ROS levels • Catalase: Catalase converts H2O2 into H2O+O. Inhibiting catalase can increase ROS levels • SOD1: converts superoxide into hydrogen peroxide. Inhibiting SOD1 can increase ROS levels • PI3K/AKT pathway: regulates cell survival and metabolism. Inhibiting can increase ROS levels • HIF-1α inhibition: regulates genes involved in metabolism and angiogenesis. Inhibiting HIF-1α can increase ROS • Glycolysis: Inhibiting glycolysis can increase ROS levels • Fatty acid oxidation: Cancer cells often rely on fatty acid oxidation for energy production. -Inhibiting fatty acid oxidation can increase ROS levels • ER stress: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can increase ROS levels • Autophagy: process by which cells recycle damaged organelles and proteins. -Inhibiting autophagy can increase ROS levels and induce cancer cell death. • KEAP1/Nrf2 pathway: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. -Inhibiting KEAP1 or activating Nrf2 can increase ROS levels and induce cancer cell death. • DJ-1: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting DJ-1 can increase ROS levels • PARK2: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting PARK2 can increase ROS levels • SIRT1 inhibition:regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting SIRT1 can increase ROS levels • AMPK activation: regulates energy metabolism and can increase ROS levels when activated. • mTOR inhibition: regulates cell growth and metabolism. Inhibiting mTOR can increase ROS levels • HSP90 inhibition: regulates protein folding and can increase ROS levels when inhibited. • Proteasome: degrades damaged proteins. Inhibiting the proteasome can increase ROS levels • Lipid peroxidation: a process by which lipids are oxidized, leading to the production of ROS. -Increasing lipid peroxidation can increase ROS levels • Ferroptosis: form of cell death that is regulated by iron and lipid peroxidation. -Increasing ferroptosis can increase ROS levels • Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP): regulates mitochondrial permeability. -Opening the mPTP can increase ROS levels • BCL-2 family proteins: regulate apoptosis and can increase ROS levels when inhibited. • Caspase-independent cell death: a form of cell death that is regulated by ROS. -Increasing caspase-independent cell death can increase ROS levels • DNA damage response: regulates the repair of DNA damage. Increasing DNA damage can increase ROS • Epigenetic regulation: process by which gene expression is regulated. -Increasing epigenetic regulation can increase ROS levels -PKM2, but not PKM1, can be inhibited by direct oxidation of cysteine 358 as an adaptive response to increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) ProOxidant Strategy:(inhibit the Mevalonate Pathway (likely will also inhibit GPx) -HydroxyCitrate (HCA) found as supplement online and typically used in a dose of about 1.5g/day or more -Atorvastatin typically 40-80mg/day, -Dipyridamole typically 200mg 2x/day Combined effect research -Lycopene typically 100mg/day range (note debatable as it mainly lowers NRF2) Dual Role of Reactive Oxygen Species and their Application in Cancer Therapy ROS-Inducing Interventions in Cancer — Canonical + Mechanistic Reference -generated from AI and Cancer database ROS rating: +++ strong | ++ moderate | + weak | ± mixed | 0 none NRF2: ↓ suppressed | ↑ activated | ± mixed | 0 none Conditions: [D] dose [Fe] metal [M] metabolic [O₂] oxygen [L] light [F] formulation [T] tumor-type [C] combination
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| 1142- | Ash, | Ashwagandha-Induced Programmed Cell Death in the Treatment of Breast Cancer |
| - | Review, | BC, | MCF-7 | - | NA, | BC, | MDA-MB-231 | - | NA, | Nor, | HMEC |
| 5396- | Ash, | Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Withaferin A: Potential in Integrative Oncology |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
| 1355- | Ash, | Withaferin A-Induced Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cells Is Mediated by Reactive Oxygen Species |
| - | in-vitro, | BC, | MDA-MB-231 | - | in-vitro, | BC, | MCF-7 | - | in-vitro, | Nor, | HMEC |
| 2003- | Ash, | Withaferin A Induces Cell Death Selectively in Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Cells but Not in Normal Fibroblast Cells |
| - | in-vitro, | Pca, | PC3 | - | in-vitro, | Pca, | DU145 | - | in-vitro, | Nor, | TIG-1 | - | in-vitro, | PC, | LNCaP |
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#:275 State#:% Dir#:6
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid