Lycopene / ChemoSen Cancer Research Results

Lyco, Lycopene: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Lycopene is a naturally occurring carotenoid found predominantly in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables.

Lycopene — a highly lipophilic, acyclic C40 carotenoid (tetraterpene) responsible for the red coloration of tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, and related foods. It is a non-provitamin-A carotenoid and dietary bioactive rather than an approved anticancer drug. Standard abbreviations include Lyc and LYCO. Tomatoes and processed tomato products are the dominant dietary sources in many populations. Lycopene isomers and oxidative metabolites may differ biologically; circulating and tissue lycopene contains a substantially larger cis-isomer fraction than typical raw tomato sources.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Redox modulation: strong singlet-oxygen quenching and antioxidant activity predominate physiologically, while some cancer models show context-dependent mitochondrial ROS generation and pro-oxidant apoptosis.
  2. IGF-1 / PI3K / AKT / mTOR growth signaling suppression, contributing to reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis in multiple experimental cancer models.
  3. Mevalonate / HMG-CoA reductase / Ras signaling suppression, reducing cholesterol synthesis, protein prenylation, Ras membrane localization, and downstream proliferative signaling.
  4. Cell-cycle inhibition through cyclin D1 and other cyclins/CDKs with increased p21/p27 and G0/G1 or other model-dependent arrest.
  5. Intrinsic apoptosis modulation through increased Bax:Bcl-2 ratio, mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome-c release, and caspase activation in responsive cancer models.
  6. Anti-inflammatory signaling through suppression of NF-κB, COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α and related inflammatory mediators.
  7. Migration, invasion and EMT suppression involving FAK, MMP2/MMP9, β-catenin, Rho-family signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways.
  8. Anti-angiogenic signaling involving VEGF and HIF-1α suppression in selected experimental systems.
  9. NRF2-dependent antioxidant defense is important primarily in normal-cell protection and chemoprevention models; its direction in established cancer is context-dependent rather than uniformly beneficial.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral absorption is formulation- and food-matrix-dependent. Lycopene is lipophilic and incorporation into mixed micelles is improved by dietary fat, disruption of the tomato matrix by processing, and some cis-rich formulations. Human isotope studies indicate substantial interindividual variability and postabsorptive trans-to-cis isomerization. Plasma/tissue persistence is relatively long compared with many phytochemicals, but reported half-life depends strongly on the kinetic model and whether endogenous/background lycopene is being measured.
- tangerine tomato juice has a marked 8.5-fold increase in lycopene bioavailability compared to red tomato juice
- taking with olive oil improves bioavailability. - Lycopene from fresh and unprocessed tomatoes is poorly absorbed by humans. Absorption of lycopene is higher from processed foods such as tomato paste and tomato juice heated in oil.
- cis-isomers of lycopene are more bioavailable than trans-lycopene probably because cis-isomers are more soluble in bile acid micelles.(tomato-based foods contain mainly all-trans-lycopene)
>

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anticancer experiments use approximately 1–20 µM lycopene, with several mechanistic studies clustering near 2.5–10 µM. Human circulating concentrations after dietary or supplemental intake are generally much lower than the upper concentrations used experimentally; therefore mechanisms demonstrated at high micromolar concentrations should not automatically be assumed achievable in tumors after ordinary oral supplementation. Formulation, food matrix, tissue accumulation and lycopene metabolites further complicate direct concentration comparisons.

Clinical evidence status: RCT / small human / observational evidence, but not established anticancer treatment. Human studies are strongest for biomarker modulation and prostate-related research, while prospective epidemiology generally associates higher dietary or circulating lycopene with modestly lower cancer risk. Trials have not established lycopene as a replacement for standard cancer therapy. Lycopene is used as a food constituent and dietary supplement; FDA GRAS determinations for specified food uses are not anticancer drug approvals.


Antioxidant Properties:
-Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant. It helps neutralize free radicals, which can reduce oxidative stress—a factor implicated in cancer development. Possible concern about interfering with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However this review disagrees.
Inflammation Reduction:
-Some studies suggest that lycopene may help lower levels of inflammation, another process linked to cancer progression

At supraphysiological or extremely high concentrations, lycopene may have the potential to switch from an antioxidant to a prooxidant role
-The prooxidant effect of lycopene has been observed under conditions of high oxygen tension. In vitro studies have suggested that in environments with elevated oxygen levels, lycopene might promote rather than neutralize the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
-The presence of metal ions (such as iron or copper) in the environment can catalyze reactions where antioxidants, including lycopene, contribute to oxidative processes. These metals can interact with lycopene, potentially leading to the formation of radicals.

The mevalonate pathway produces cholesterol and a variety of isoprenoids, which are important for maintaining cell membrane integrity, protein prenylation, and other essential cellular functions.
-One of the primary enzymes in this pathway is HMG-CoA reductase (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase), which is the target of statin drugs used for lowering cholesterol. Some studies suggest that lycopene might downregulate the activity of HMG-CoA reductase or other enzymes in the mevalonate pathway. By doing so, lycopene could potentially reduce the synthesis of cholesterol and isoprenoids that are necessary for rapid cell proliferation—an especially relevant aspect in cancer cells.

Lycopene typically used in a 100mg/day range for cancer (inhibition of the the Melavonate Pathway)
-also has antiplatelet aggregation capability.

-Note half-life 16–20 days (other ref 5 days).
BioAv Heat processing, especially when combined with a small amount of fat, significantly enhances lycopene’s bioaccessibility and absorption. (20% under optimal conditions)
Pathways:
- ROS usually goes down, but may go up or down depending on dose and environment. Lycopene may also be modified to be a "oxdiative product" which may change the behaviour.
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: 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 : EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP9↓, IGF-1↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, ROCK1↓, FAK↓, RhoA↓, NF-κB↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : EZH2↓, P53↑, Sp proteins↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, TNF-α↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓,
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, ERK↓, JNK, - SREBP (related to cholesterol).
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Lycopene Mechanistic Ranking

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Redox and reactive oxygen species ROS ↓ or ↑ (context-dependent); mt-ROS ↑ in selected models ROS ↓; lipid peroxidation ↓ R–G Redox modulation Antioxidant behavior predominates physiologically, but pro-oxidant mitochondrial ROS-mediated apoptosis occurs in some cancer models. Direction depends on cell type, oxygen tension, dose and lycopene oxidation state.
2 IGF-1 / PI3K / AKT / mTOR IGF-1 signaling ↓; PI3K ↓; AKT ↓; mTOR ↓ ↔ or protective modulation (context-dependent) R–G Growth and survival signaling ↓ One of the most recurrent cancer-relevant signaling clusters; effects vary by tumor model.
3 Mevalonate / HMG-CoA reductase / Ras HMG-CoA reductase ↓; cholesterol synthesis ↓; membrane Ras ↓ LDL/cholesterol regulation ↓ (context-dependent) G Growth signaling and prenylation ↓ Mechanistically important but demonstrated mainly preclinically. Mevalonate can reverse lycopene-induced growth inhibition in experimental cancer cells.
4 Cell-cycle machinery Cyclin D1 ↓; cyclin E ↓; CDK2 ↓; CDK4 ↓; p21 ↑; p27 ↑; arrest ↑ ↔ (generally spared) G Proliferation ↓ Frequently reported downstream consequence of growth-factor, Ras and AKT pathway suppression.
5 Mitochondrial apoptosis Bax:Bcl-2 ↑; MMP ↓; Cyt-c ↑; caspase-9 ↑; caspase-3 ↑; apoptosis ↑ Mitochondrial damage ↓; apoptosis ↓ under oxidative injury R–G Selective death signaling Direction differs markedly by malignant versus stressed normal-cell context.
6 NF-κB inflammatory signaling NF-κB ↓; COX-2 ↓; IL-6 ↓; TNF-α ↓ NF-κB ↓; inflammatory cytokines ↓ R–G Inflammation ↓ Supported across cancer and non-cancer inflammatory models; likely partly secondary to redox and kinase modulation.
7 EMT / FAK / MMP invasion axis EMT ↓; FAK ↓; MMP2 ↓; MMP9 ↓; migration ↓; invasion ↓ ↔ (context-dependent) G Migration and invasion ↓ Relevant mainly to preclinical metastatic phenotypes rather than demonstrated clinical antimetastatic efficacy.
8 Wnt / β-catenin / STAT3 Wnt ↓; β-catenin ↓; JAK1 ↓; STAT3 ↓ ↔ (context-dependent) G Proliferative transcription ↓ Observed in several epithelial cancer models but not established as a universal primary target.
9 VEGF / HIF-1α angiogenesis VEGF ↓; HIF-1α ↓; angiogenesis ↓ ↔ or angiogenic signaling ↓ (context-dependent) G Angiogenesis ↓ Predominantly preclinical evidence.
10 NRF2 / antioxidant response NRF2 ↑ or ↓ (context-dependent) NRF2 ↑; HO-1 ↑; NQO1 ↑; SOD ↑; GSH defense ↑ R–G Stress defense ↑ NRF2 activation is well supported in protective normal-tissue models. In established cancer, NRF2 biology is dual-sided and should not be represented as uniformly anticancer.
11 DNA damage and genomic protection DNA damage ↑ or ↓ (model-dependent); p53 ↑ Oxidative DNA damage ↓ G Context-dependent genomic modulation Normal-cell chemoprevention and cancer-cell killing can produce opposite apparent directions.
12 Glycolysis and metabolic signaling Glycolysis ↓ (limited evidence); c-Myc ↓; G6PD ↓ ↔ G Metabolic growth support ↓ Evidence is substantially less developed than for AKT, cell cycle or redox pathways; should remain secondary.
13 Chemosensitization Sensitivity ↑ (drug- and model-dependent) Chemotoxicity may ↓ in protective models G Adjunct response modulation Preclinical sensitization has been reported, including androgen-axis therapies; simultaneous cytoprotection is also reported with some cytotoxic agents, so interaction cannot be generalized.
14 Radiosensitivity and radioprotection ↔ or sensitivity ↑ (model-dependent) Radioprotection ↑ in some models G Context-dependent radiation interaction Evidence supports both antioxidant radioprotection and experimental radiosensitization depending on system; clinical significance remains uncertain.
15 Clinical Translation Constraint Oral tumor exposure uncertain Generally well tolerated at nutritional and commonly studied supplemental exposure G Translation limited Low and variable oral bioavailability, food-matrix effects, nonlinear dose-exposure relationships, uncertain tumor concentrations, and limited adequately powered cancer RCTs constrain translation of high-concentration in-vitro mechanisms.

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



Alzheimer’s disease relevance: Lycopene has meaningful preclinical AD relevance but no established clinical efficacy. Cell and animal models report reduced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, improved mitochondrial function, suppression of BACE1 and amyloidogenic signaling, reduced Aβ burden, attenuation of tau hyperphosphorylation, and preservation of BDNF/synaptic signaling. Human evidence remains insufficient to classify lycopene as an AD treatment.

Translation status: Preclinical only for disease-modifying AD mechanisms. Computational, cellular, rodent and formulation studies support biological plausibility, but clinical supplementation studies have not demonstrated prevention or treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Lycopene in Alzheimer’s Disease Models

Rank Pathway / Axis Modulation Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Oxidative stress / NRF2 ROS ↓; NRF2 ↑; antioxidant defense ↑ Oxidative neuronal injury ↓ One of the most consistent effects in cellular and animal neurotoxicity models.
2 Amyloid / BACE1 BACE1 ↓; Aβ ↓ Amyloidogenic processing ↓ Supported experimentally; no demonstrated disease-modifying effect in humans.
3 Neuroinflammation / NF-κB NF-κB ↓; TNF-α ↓; IL-1β ↓; IL-6 ↓ Neuroinflammation ↓ Reported in several Aβ and inflammatory animal models.
4 Mitochondrial function mt-ROS ↓; MMP preserved; mitochondrial damage ↓ Bioenergetic integrity ↑ Consistent with antioxidant and anti-apoptotic neuronal effects.
5 Tau phosphorylation Hyperphosphorylated tau ↓ Tau pathology ↓ Demonstrated in transgenic mouse models; human relevance remains unproven.
6 BDNF / synaptic plasticity BDNF ↑; TrkB signaling ↑ Synaptic resilience ↑ Preclinical evidence suggests preservation of learning/memory pathways.
7 Neuronal apoptosis Bax:Bcl-2 ↓; Cyt-c ↓; caspase-3 ↓ Neuronal survival ↑ Predominantly secondary to redox, mitochondrial and inflammatory modulation.


ChemoSen, chemo-sensitization: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
The effectiveness of chemotherapy by increasing cancer cell sensitivity to the drugs used to treat them, which is known as “chemo-sensitization”.

Possible Chemo-Sensitizers:
-Curcumin
-Resveratrol
-EGCG
-Quercetin
-Genistein
-Berberine
-Piperine: alkaloid from black pepper
-Ginsenosides: active components of ginseng
-Silymarin
-Allicin
-Lycopene
-Ellagic acid
-Caffeic acid phenethyl ester
-flavopiridol
-oleandrin
-Ursolic acid
-butein
-Betulinic acid
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
4797- Lyco,    A mechanistic updated overview on lycopene as potential anticancer agent
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, The anticancer potential of lycopene has been described by various in vitro cells, animal studies, and some clinical trials.
antiOx↓, anticancer potential of lycopene is mainly due to its powerful singlet-oxygen quencher characteristics, simulation of detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes production,
Apoptosis↑, initiation of apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle progression as well as modulations of gap junctional communication, the growth factors, and signal transduction pathways
TumCP↓,
TumCCA↑,
Risk↓, The link between increased lycopene consumption and reducedoccurrence of a variety of cancers has been documented by in vitro cells,animal studies, and some clinical studies.
ROS↓, The antioxidant action of lycopene toward ROS
SOD↑, Lycopene can simulate detoxifying/antioxidant enzyme productionsuch as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase.
Catalase↑, . By stimulating ARE system, the lycopene can increase detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes production such as SOD, CAT, GST
GSTs↑,
ARE↑, The upregulating of the ARE system by lycopere has been studied in human BEAS-2B, HepG2, and MCF7
NRF2↑, figure 1
cycD1/CCND1↓, figure 2
cycE/CCNE↑,
CDK2↑,
p27/CDKN1B↑,
BAX↑,
Bcl-2↓,
P53↑,
ChemoSen↑, Lycopene has also been declared to have a synergistic effect with drugs used in cancer treatment [16,17,27,32]. Lycopene may contribute to improved anticancer effects of enzalutamide

4792- Lyco,    A Comprehensive Review on the Molecular Mechanism of Lycopene in Cancer Therapy
- Review, Var, NA
*AntiCan↑, The antioxidant profile of lycopene promotes anticancerous properties that reduce cancer prevalence by activating cell signaling pathways and gene expression (involved in cancer cell proliferation).
*antiOx↑,
Inflam↓, Lycopene's anti-inflammatory properties suppresses the tumor growth and development- promoting pathways, such as the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
Wnt↓, anticancer property of lycopene is also evidenced by its inhibi- tory potential of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway that is involved in cancer cell modulation and propagation.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
*ROS↓, Lycopene also suppresses and neutralizes oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced DNA damage, preventing gene mutation.
BioAv↑, high-pressure homogenization having 80 MPa pressure and 25°C temperature (Carpentieri et al. 2023),and freeze-dried tomatoes (Tan et al. 2021) have improved the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of lycopene.
ROS↓, ycopene against pancreatic acinar cells was determined, it was found that IL- 6 and NF-kB are suppressed by lycopene (2 or 5 μmol/L) after 2 h of cerulein activation, demonstrating their role in neutralizing ROS
Risk↓, Mia et al. (2023) determined prostate cancer-lowering properties of lycopene among 47,365 individuals.
PGE2↓, Lycopene also exhibited its suppressive effect by reducing PGE2, COX-2, and phosphorylated ERK1/2 protein (Marino et al. 2023).
COX2/PTGS2↓,
p‑ERK↓,
P21↑, lycopene and fish oil supplementation was revealed by the elevated expression of cell cycle inhibitors (p21 CIP1/WAF1 and p27Kip1) as well as by the reduced expression of MMP-7, MMP-9, COX-2, PGE2
MMP7↓,
MMP9↓,
ChemoSen↑, It was observed that lycopene and cisplatin act synergistically to arrest cell growth by enhancing Bax & Nrf2 expression and inactivating Bcl-2 and NF-kB pathways
Synergy↑, lycopene silver nanoparticles (LyAgNP) suppressed the progression of HeLa cells and COLO320DM cells

4791- Lyco,    Investigating into anti-cancer potential of lycopene: Molecular targets
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, Lycopene, the main pigment of tomatoes, possess the strongest antioxidant activity among carotenoids. Lycopene has unique structure and chemical properties.
TumCP↓, the anticancer of lycopene is also considered to be an important determinant of tumor development including the inhibition of cell proliferation, inhibition of cell cycle progression, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell invasion, angiogenesis
TumCCA↓,
Apoptosis↑,
TumCI↓,
angioG↓,
TumMeta↓,
*Risk↓, and may be associated with a decreased risk of different types of cancer.
cycD1/CCND1↓, Several studies suggested lycopene decreased cell cycle related proteins, such as cyclin D1, D3 and E, the cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 4, bcl-2, while decreased phospho-Akt levels and increased p21, p27, p53 and bax levels and in Bax: Bcl-2 ratio
CycD3↓,
cycE/CCNE↓,
CDK2↓,
CDK4↓,
Bcl-2↓,
P21↑,
p27/CDKN1B↑,
P53↑,
BAX↑,
selectivity↑, lycopene selectively inhibited cell growth in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells but not in the MCF-10 mammary epithelial cells
MMP↓, When treating LNCaP human prostate cancer cells with lycopene, the decreased mitochondrial function could be observed.
Cyt‑c↑, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and finally led to apoptosis
Wnt↓, Lycopene could inhibit Wnt-TCF signaling pathway in cancer cells.
Synergy↑, Lycopene could synergistically increase QC anticancer activity and inhibit Wnt-TCF signaling in cancer cells.
PPARγ↑, Lycopene could inhibit the growth of cancer cells by activating the PPARγ – LXRα - ABCA1 pathway and decreasing cellular total cholesterol levels
LDL↓,
Akt↓, Lycopene suppressed Akt activation and non-phosphorylated β-Catenin,
PI3K↓, inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer HT-29 cells, which was associated with suppressing PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
mTOR↓,
PDGF↓, Lycopene, however, could inhibit PDGF-BB-induced signaling and cell migration in both human cultured skin fibroblasts and melanoma-derived fibroblasts
NF-kB↓, anticancer properties of lycopene may occur to play its role through the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway
ChemoSen↑, lycopene increased the sensitization of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin via the suppression of NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses, and the modulation of Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress

4788- Lyco,    Lycopene as a potential anticancer agent: Current evidence on synergism, drug delivery systems and epidemiology (Review)
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, It may be associated with a reduction in the morbidity and mortality of several types of cancer, making it a prom‑ ising anticancer agent
ChemoSen↑, present review summarizes the synergistic effects of lycopene as a dietary supplement with other chemotherapy drugs or nutrients, for the enhancement of anticancer effects or the reduction of side effects from chemotherapy drugs.
chemoP↑,
Dose↝, Shao and Hathcock (20) proposed a 75 mg/day intake as the upper limit of lycopene for supplements, as no adverse effects were reported from continuous administration of 75 mg/day lycopene in a 4‑week clinical study
BioAv↑, Thermal processing of tomato products can cause changes in the structure of lycopene to shift and yield cis‑isomers in the product and this form is more bioavailable
BioAv↑, The presence of fat in food also helps enhance the absorption of lycopene (40) and its absorption is influenced by the amount of ingested fat, and the type and emulsification of dietary fat
BioAv↓, avoid the consumption of lycopene concurrently with high dietary fiber, as several types of dietary fiber (e.g. pectin, guar, alginate, etc.) are associated with lower bioavailability of lycopene
cardioP↑, figure 2
AntiDiabetic↑,
hepatoP↑,
neuroP↑,
MAPK↓, 2 mg/kg; 5 mg/kg Inhibition of MAPK signaling pathway (48) and decreased MMP‑2 and MMP‑9 activities through the activation of NM23‑H1, TIMP‑1 and TIMP‑2 expression.
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
TIMP1↑,
TIMP2↑,

4781- Lyco,  5-FU,  Chemo,  Cisplatin,    Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of lycopene against 5-fluorouracil-induced cytotoxicity in Caco2 cells
- in-vitro, Colon, Caco-2
chemoP↑, One such useful natural antioxidant that has been widely investigated to suppress chemotherapy induced side effects of drugs such as cisplatin is lycopene
Inflam↓, lycopene was found to significantly suppress inflammatory responses in CC cells by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines expression like cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α)
COX2/PTGS2↓,
IL1β↓,
IL6↓,
TNF-α↓,
ROS↑, Our results indicated the cells treatment with 60 µg/ml lycopene significantly increased ROS generation
ChemoSen↑, Furthermore, L60 and L120 seemed to enhance 5FU-induced ROS generation
SOD↓, significant increase SOD activity

8418- Lyco,  docx,    A phase I study of docetaxel plus synthetic lycopene in metastatic prostate cancer patients
- Trial, Pca, NA
Dose↝, The maximum tolerated dose was identified as 150 mg/day of lycopene in combination with docetaxel/ADT for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer patients.
BioEnh↑, Lycopene increased the AUCinf and C max of plasma docetaxel by 9.5% and 15.1%, respectively
angioG↓, Mechanistically significant effects were seen on angiogenesis and insulin‐like growth factor 1 signalling by lycopene co‐administration with docetaxel/ADT.
IGF-1↓, These data demonstrated that lycopene treatment produces a dose‐dependent reduction in signalling by IGF‐1 through its receptor.
ChemoSen↑, We have shown that lycopene acts synergistically with docetaxel to reduce the viability of human prostate cancer cells in an insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1)‐dependent manner and to enhance the anti‐tumour efficacy of docetaxel in a xenog
BioAv↑, The mean lycopene concentrations in plasma at baseline and after 99 days of treatment were .48 ± .37 and .82 ± .49 µmol/L, respectively (p = .0119), an increase of 93.4% (95% confidence interval 25.7%–97.4%) during treatment
CEC↝, Patients treated with lycopene 150 mg daily had a significant increase in CECs only on day 57, with non‐significant changes on all other days.

8414- Lyco,    Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Lycopene: Mechanisms, Biological Activities, and Health Benefits
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA
*ROS↓, regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation
*Inflam↓,
*hepatoP↑, Its role containing nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties, anti-arthritis, anti-obesity, and wound healing has been documented
*cardioP↑,
*neuroP↑,
*AntiArt↑,
*Obesity↓,
*Wound Healing↑,
*BioAv↑, potential of emerging nanoformulation strategies to improve its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy in disease management.
*GSTs↑, In TD-challenged rats, hepatic activities and gene expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST), thioredoxin-1 (Txn-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were decreased; these changes were mitigated by lycopene.
*Trx1↑,
*SOD↑,
*Catalase↑,
*ALAT↓, 5 mg/kg b.w led to partial, dose-dependent improvements in ALT, LDH, AST, and MDA levels
*LDH↓,
*AST↓,
*MDA↓,
*cognitive↑, Lycopene has also been reported to reduce neuronal damage, inhibit oxidative stress, and improve cognitive function in various experimental models.
*memory↑, chronic lycopene administration caused an improvement in memory retention, reducing neuroinflammation
*NeuroI↓,
*Aβ↓, The lycopene administration was found to reduce Aβ accumulation, increase the LRP1 levels, and reduce the RAGE levels in the cerebrospinal fluid or the choroid plexus.
*LRP1↑,
*RAGE↓,
*NRF2↑, lycopene exerts a protective role against global ischemic brain injury through its activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and anti-apoptotic properties
*HO-1↑,
tumCV?, lycopene significantly decreases cell viability by increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and promoting DNA fragmentation.
Bax:Bcl2↑,
DNAdam↑,
Apoptosis↑, lycopene induces apoptosis through suppressing β-catenin-c-myc/cyclin D1 axis and reducing ROS levels.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
cMyc↓,
cycD1/CCND1↓,
ROS↓,
TumCCA↑, Lycopene plays a substantial role in inhibition of cancer cell growth by causing cell cycle arrest.
Akt↓, Lycopene treatment suppressed Akt activation as well as non-phosphorylated β-catenin protein level
*Synergy↑, The results showed that even at low concentrations, lycopene and EPA worked synergistically to inhibit cancer cell proliferation.
*MDA↓, important reduction in colon tissue L-MDA and down-regulation of NF-κB, TGF-β1, caspase-3, in addition to a noticeable increase in CAT activity and GSH concentration, and up-regulation of Bcl-2 and IL-10 were detected after lycopene treatment
*NF-kB↓,
*TGF-β↓,
*Casp3↓,
*Catalase↑,
*GSH↑,
*Bcl-2↑,
*IL10↑,
*MUC1↑, It enhances mucin production, contributing to improved mucosal barrier function.
*IBI↑,
*RenoP↑, lycopene as renoprotective was confirmed through different mechanisms
*ChemoSen↑, lycopene enhances the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin by downregulating Bcl-2 expression, upregulating Bax expression and reducing cell viability
*Synergy↑, Curcumin Effect on benign prostatic hyperplasia ° The combination treatment attenuated prostate hyperplasia and alleviated BPH pathological features.
*Synergy↑, lycopene, given together with methotrexate, improved serum urea, creatinine levels, reduced oxidative damage markers, and suggestively reversed structural changes in kidney tissue
*BMD↑, It was noticed that substantial bone density loss was not noticed in women taking the tomato sauce, whereas the control group had bone loss.

4798- Lyco,    Enhancing Anticancer Treatment Efficacy With Lycopene: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical and Preclinical Evidence
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, Beyond its direct anticancer effects, LYP has been shown to enhance the efficacy of various anticancer agents when used in combination.
ChemoSen↑,
eff↑, LYP, when used in combination with other therapeutic agents, can modulate several key oncogenic signaling pathways, including JAK2, MAPK, Akt/mTOR, IGF-1R, Akt/EZH2/AR, and PPARγ/LXRα/ABCA1.
Synergy↑, alterations have been observed when LYP is combined with various anticancer therapeutics, including radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, standard chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, taxanes, and sorafenib

1715- Lyco,    Pro-oxidant Actions of Carotenoids in Triggering Apoptosis of Cancer Cells: A Review of Emerging Evidence
- Review, Var, NA
antiOx↑, Carotenoids are well known for their potent antioxidant function in the cellular system.
ROS↑, However, in cancer cells with an innately high level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), carotenoids may act as potent pro-oxidant molecules and trigger ROS-mediated apoptosis
ChemoSen↑, when carotenoids are delivered with ROS-inducing cytotoxic drugs, they can minimize the adverse effects of these drugs on normal cells by acting as antioxidants without interfering with their cytotoxic effects on cancer cells as pro-oxidants
selectivity↑, In cancer cells with innately high intracellular ROS levels, carotenoids may act as pro-oxidants and trigger ROS-mediated apoptosis of cancer cells.
eff↓, However, under high oxygen tension conditions (e.g., in the lungs of smokers), β-carotene shows tumor-promoting effects.
Casp3↑,
Casp7↑,
Casp9↑,
P53↑,
BAX↑,
DNAdam↑,
mtDam↑, mitochondrial dysfunction
Synergy↑, Astaxanthin co-treatment with β-carotene and lutein (equimolar 5 µM each)

1714- Lyco,    Lycopene reduces ovarian tumor growth and intraperitoneal metastatic load
- in-vitro, Ovarian, OV-MZ-6 - in-vivo, NA, NA
ChemoSen↑, Lycopene treatment synergistically enhanced anti-tumorigenic effects of paclitaxel and carboplatin
CA125↓, Lycopene decreased the expression of the ovarian cancer biomarker, CA125.
ITGA5↓, down-regulated expression of ITGA5, ITGB1, MMP9, FAK, ILK and EMT markers, decreased protein expression of integrin α5 and reduced activation of MAPK.
ITGB1↓,
MMP9↓,
FAK↓,
EMT↓,
MAPK↓,
MMP9↓, Levels of MMP9 in serum and ascites were reduced upon lycopene prevention
antiOx↑, The antioxidant properties of lycopene have been reported for the prevention and treatment of different tumor entities, especially in prostate cancer
Ki-67↓, expression of Ki67 in tumor tissues was lowered upon lycopene treatment compared to the placebo
MAPK↓, reduced the protein expression of integrin α5 and activation of MAPK signaling

1708- Lyco,    The Anti-Cancer Activity of Lycopene: A Systematic Review of Human and Animal Studies
- Review, Var, NA
OS↑, reduced prostate cancer-specific mortality in men at high risk for prostate cancer
ChemoSen↑, improved the response to docetaxel chemotherapy in advanced castrate-resistant prostate cancer
QoL↑, lycopene improved the quality of life, and provided relief from bone pain and control of lower urinary tract symptoms
PSA∅, PSA stabilisation in prostate cancer
Synergy↑, Lycopene co-supplementation with vitamin E also showed an improvement in the results of prostate cancer treatment
AntiCan↑, lycopene intake showed a strong protective effect against stomach cancer, regardless of H. pylori status
AntiCan↑, A lycopene-rich diet was shown to reduce the incidence of pancreatic cancer in humans by 31%
angioG↓,
VEGF↓,
Hif1a↓,
SOD↑,
Catalase↑,
GPx↑,
GSH↑,
GPx↑,
GR↑,
MDA↓,
NRF2↑,
HO-1↑,
COX2/PTGS2↓,
PGE2↓,
NF-kB↓,
IL4↑,
IL10↑,
IL6↓,
TNF-α↓,
PPARγ↑,
TumCCA↑, G(0)/G(1) phase
FOXO3↓,
Casp3↑,
IGF-1↓, breast cancer,crc
p27/CDKN1B↑,
STAT3↓,
CDK2↓,
CDK4↓,
P21↑,
PCNA↓,
MMP7↓,
MMP9↓,

3277- Lyco,    Recent trends and advances in the epidemiology, synergism, and delivery system of lycopene as an anti-cancer agent
- Review, Var, NA
antiOx↑, lycopene provides a strong antioxidant activity that is 100 times more effective than α-tocopherol and more than double effective that of β-carotene
TumCP↓, In vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated that lycopene at near physiological levels (0.5−2 μM) could inhibit cancer cell proliferation [[22], [23], [24]], induce apoptosis [[25], [26], [27]], and suppress metastasis [
Apoptosis↑,
TumMeta↑,
ChemoSen↑, lycopene can increase the effect of anti-cancer drugs (including adriamycin, cisplatin, docetaxel and paclitaxel) on cancer cell growth and reduce tumour size
BioAv↓, low water solubility and bioavailability of lycopene
Dose↝, The concentration of lycopene in plasma (daily intake of 10 mg lycopene) is approximately 0.52−0.6 μM
BioAv↓, significant decrease in lycopene bioavailability in the elderly
BioAv↑, oils and fats favours the bioavailability of lycopene [80], while large molecules such as pectin can hinder the absorption of lycopene in the small intestine due to their action on lipids and bile salt molecules
SOD↑, GC: 50−150 mg/kg BW/day ↑SOD, CAT, GPx ↑IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α ↑IgA, IgG, IgM ↓IL-6
Catalase↑,
GPx↑,
IL2↑, lycopene treatment significantly enhanced blood IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α levels and reduced IL-6 level in a dose-dependent manner.
IL4↑,
IL1↑,
TNF-α↑,
GSH↑, GC: ↑GSH, GPx, GST, GR
GPx↑,
GSTA1↑,
GSR↑,
PPARγ↑, ↑GPx, SOD, MDA ↑PPARγ, caspase-3 ↓NF-κB, COX-2
Casp3↑,
NF-kB↓,
COX2/PTGS2↓,
Bcl-2↑, AGS cells Lycopene 5 μM ↑Bcl-2 ↓Bax, Bax/Bcl-2, p53 ↓Chk1, Chk2, γ-H2AX, DNA damage ↓ROS Phase arrest
BAX↓,
P53↓,
CHK1↓,
Chk2↓,
γH2AX↓,
DNAdam↓,
ROS↓,
P21↑, CRC: ↑p21 ↓PCNA, β-catenin ↓COX-2, PGE2, ERK1/2 phosphorylated
PCNA↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
PGE2↓,
ERK↓,
cMyc↓, AGS cells: ↓Wnt-1, c-Myc, cyclin E ↓Jak1/Stat3, Wnt/β-catenin alteration ↓ROS
cycE/CCNE↓,
JAK1↓,
STAT3↓,
SIRT1↑, Huh7: ↑SIRT1 ↓Cells growth ↑PARP cleavage ↓Cyclin D1, TNFα, IL-6, NF-κB, p65, STAT3, Akt activation ↓Tumour multiplicity, volume
cl‑PARP↑,
cycD1/CCND1↓,
TNF-α↓,
IL6↓,
p65↓,
MMP2↓, SK-Hep1 human hepatoma cells Lycopene 5, 10 μM ↓MMP-2, MMP-9 ↓
MMP9↓,
Wnt↓, AGS cells Lycopene 0.5 μM, 1 μM ↓Wnt-1, c-Myc, cyclin E ↓Jak1/Stat3, Wnt/β-catenin alteration ↓ROS

3273- Lyco,    Lycopene
- Review, Var, NA
antiOx↑, lycopene supplementation is associated with strong antioxidant effects, it has the potential to interfere with chemotherapy and radiation therapy
ChemoSen↓,
RadioS↓,


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 13 of 13

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 13

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

antiOx↓, 1,   antiOx↑, 4,   ARE↑, 1,   Catalase↑, 3,   GPx↑, 4,   GSH↑, 2,   GSR↑, 1,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   MDA↓, 1,   NRF2↑, 2,   ROS↓, 4,   ROS↑, 2,   SOD↓, 1,   SOD↑, 3,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics(tgid=3) ⓘ

mtDam↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis(tgid=4) ⓘ

LDL↓, 1,   SIRT1↑, 1,  

Cell Death(tgid=5) ⓘ

Apoptosis↑, 4,   BAX↓, 1,   BAX↑, 3,   Bax:Bcl2↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Bcl-2↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 3,   Casp7↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction(tgid=6) ⓘ

Akt↓, 2,   ERK↓, 1,   p‑ERK↓, 1,   JAK1↓, 1,   MAPK↓, 3,   mTOR↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 2,  

Transcription & Epigenetics(tgid=7) ⓘ

cMyc↓, 2,   FOXO3↓, 1,   tumCV?, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair(tgid=10) ⓘ

DNAdam↓, 1,   DNAdam↑, 2,   P53↓, 1,   P53↑, 3,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,   PCNA↓, 2,   γH2AX↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence(tgid=11) ⓘ

CDK2↓, 2,   CDK2↑, 1,   CDK4↓, 2,   CHK1↓, 1,   Chk2↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 4,   CycD3↓, 1,   cycE/CCNE↓, 2,   cycE/CCNE↑, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   P21↑, 4,   p27/CDKN1B↑, 3,   TumCCA↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 3,  

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

IGF-1↓, 2,   Ki-67↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 3,   Wnt↓, 3,  

Migration(tgid=13) ⓘ

EMT↓, 1,   FAK↓, 1,   ITGA5↓, 1,   ITGB1↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 2,   MMP7↓, 2,   MMP9↓, 6,   PDGF↓, 1,   TIMP1↑, 1,   TIMP2↑, 1,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumMeta↓, 1,   TumMeta↑, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 3,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature(tgid=14) ⓘ

angioG↓, 3,   Hif1a↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport(tgid=15) ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

COX2/PTGS2↓, 4,   IL1↑, 1,   IL10↑, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL2↑, 1,   IL4↑, 2,   IL6↓, 3,   Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 3,   p65↓, 1,   PGE2↓, 3,   PSA∅, 1,   TNF-α↓, 3,   TNF-α↑, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors(tgid=20) ⓘ

GR↑, 1,   PPARγ↑, 3,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance(tgid=21) ⓘ

BioAv↓, 3,   BioAv↑, 5,   BioEnh↑, 1,   ChemoSen↓, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 11,   Dose↝, 3,   eff↓, 1,   eff↑, 1,   GSTA1↑, 1,   RadioS↓, 1,   selectivity↑, 2,   Synergy↑, 5,  

Clinical Biomarkers(tgid=22) ⓘ

CA125↓, 1,   CEC↝, 1,   IL6↓, 3,   PSA∅, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 5,   AntiDiabetic↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,   chemoP↑, 2,   hepatoP↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,   OS↑, 1,   QoL↑, 1,   Risk↓, 2,  
Total Targets: 123

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

antiOx↑, 2,   Catalase↑, 2,   GSH↑, 1,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   MDA↓, 2,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 2,   SOD↑, 1,   Trx1↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis(tgid=4) ⓘ

ALAT↓, 1,  

Cell Death(tgid=5) ⓘ

Bcl-2↑, 1,   Casp3↓, 1,  

Migration(tgid=13) ⓘ

LRP1↑, 1,   MUC1↑, 1,   TGF-β↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport(tgid=15) ⓘ

IBI↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

IL10↑, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   NeuroI↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   RAGE↓, 1,  

Protein Aggregation(tgid=19) ⓘ

Aβ↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance(tgid=21) ⓘ

BioAv↑, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 1,   Synergy↑, 3,  

Clinical Biomarkers(tgid=22) ⓘ

ALAT↓, 1,   AST↓, 1,   BMD↑, 1,   LDH↓, 1,   RAGE↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

AntiArt↑, 1,   AntiCan↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,   cognitive↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   memory↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,   Obesity↓, 1,   RenoP↑, 1,   Risk↓, 1,   Wound Healing↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 42

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: ChemoSen, chemo-sensitization
13 Lycopene
1 5-fluorouracil
1 Chemotherapy
1 Cisplatin
1 Docetaxel
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#:119  Target#:1106  State#:%  Dir#:%
  wNotes=on  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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