Database Query Results : Shikonin, , GRP78/BiP

SK, Shikonin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
The (R)-enantiomer of alkannin is known as shikonin, and the racemic mixture of the two is known as shikalkin.
Shikonin is a naphthoquinone derivative primarily isolated from the roots of plants in the Boraginaceae family (e.g., Lithospermum erythrorhizon).
Shikonin is the main active component of a Chinese medicinal plant 'Zi Cao'
-Shikonin is a major component of zicao (purple gromwell, the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon), a Chinese herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory properties
-Quinone methides (QMs) are highly reactive intermediates formed from natural compounds like shikonin
-ic50 cancer cells 1-10uM, normal cells >10uM

-known as Glycolysis inhibitor: ( inhibit pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2*******), a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway)

Available from mcsformulas.com Shikonin Pro Liposomal, 30 mg
Also In Glycolysis Inhibithree(100 mg PHLORIZIN,10 mg TANSHINONE IIA, 8 mg Shikonin)

-Note half-life15-30mins or 8hr?.
BioAv low, poor water solubility
Pathways:
- usually induce ROS production in cancer cells, and reduce ROS in normal cells.
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓,
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, TrxR↓**, SOD↓, GSH↓ Catalase↓ GPx4↓
- 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 : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, IGF-1↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, FAK↓, NF-κB↓, TGF-β↓, ERK↓
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, ERK↓, JNK, P53↑,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance
1 PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis (Warburg metabolism) Energy / biomass restriction Key, repeatedly reported mechanism: shikonin suppresses PKM2 activity and PKM2-driven glycolysis in multiple tumor models, with downstream growth inhibition and apoptosis
2 ROS accumulation / oxidative stress ↑ ROS Redox overload Common upstream trigger that drives mitochondrial dysfunction and regulated cell death programs; often precedes necroptosis/apoptosis signaling
3 Necroptosis core cascade (RIPK1 → RIPK3 → MLKL) Programmed necrotic cell death Strong evidence across cancers (e.g., leukemia and nasopharyngeal carcinoma): shikonin increases RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL expression/activation; necroptosis inhibitors can blunt the effect
4 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) Mitochondrial dysfunction ROS-linked depolarization; acts as a pivot into intrinsic apoptosis and other death programs
5 Intrinsic apoptosis (BAX/BAK → Caspase-9/3) Programmed cell death Frequently observed; often framed as ROS → mitochondrial damage → caspase-dependent apoptosis
6 PKM2/STAT3 signaling axis Reduced survival & proliferation signaling In ESCC and related models, shikonin suppresses PKM2-driven glycolysis and down-modulates STAT3 pathway activity
7 NF-κB pathway Reduced pro-survival transcription Reported as part of multi-target suppression of inflammatory/anti-apoptotic programs in several tumor models and reviews
8 PI3K–AKT (± mTOR) Growth & resistance pathway inhibition Often described as sensitizing cells to apoptosis/TRAIL; may be secondary to oxidative stress and metabolic collapse
9 Stress MAPKs (JNK / p38) Pro-death stress signaling Common downstream response to ROS; can reinforce apoptosis and other death outcomes
10 Ferroptosis-related axis (lipid peroxidation; GPX4) ↑ lipid perox / ↓ GPX4 Iron-dependent oxidative death Reported prominently for acetylshikonin (a shikonin derivative): ROS-associated lipid peroxidation with reduced GPX4 expression alongside RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL activation
11 Endoplasmic reticulum stress (UPR / ERS) Proteotoxic stress signaling Frequently mentioned in leukemia-focused mechanism summaries and broader reviews as contributory to growth arrest and death
12 Multiple regulated death programs (apoptosis / necroptosis / ferroptosis / pyroptosis) ↑ (context-dependent) Broader cell-death engagement Recent reviews emphasize that shikonin can engage several programmed cell death modalities depending on cell context and dosing
Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis (Warburg metabolism) ↓ PKM2 activity / ↓ glycolysis Energy & biomass restriction Demonstrates shikonin (and analogs) inhibit cancer glycolysis, reducing glucose consumption/lactate production via PKM2 targeting (ref)
2 PKM2 → STAT3 signaling axis ↓ PKM2-driven signaling / ↓ STAT3 pathway Reduced survival & proliferation ESCC study: shikonin suppresses PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis and regulates PKM2/STAT3 signaling (ref)
3 Necroptosis (RIPK1 → RIPK3 → MLKL) ↑ RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL Programmed necrotic cell death Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: shikonin induces necroptosis with upregulation of RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL (with ROS involvement) (ref)
4 ROS accumulation ↑ ROS Oxidative stress trigger Colon cancer model: shikonin increases intracellular ROS; ROS functions upstream of apoptosis (ref)
5 Mitochondrial apoptosis (Caspase-9/3) ↑ Caspase-9/3 Programmed cell death Same colon cancer study shows shikonin increases caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity (mitochondria-mediated apoptosis) (ref)
6 ER stress / UPR (PERK → eIF2α → CHOP) Proteotoxic stress apoptosis signaling Colon cancer: shikonin-induced apoptosis mediated by PERK/eIF2α/CHOP ER-stress pathway (ref)
7 Autophagic flux (autophagosome–lysosome completion) ↓ autophagic flux (blocked) ROS + apoptosis amplification Colorectal cancer: shikonin induces ROS and apoptosis by inhibiting autophagic flux (ref)
8 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activity Reduced pro-survival transcription Pancreatic cancer xenograft/mechanistic study: shikonin suppresses NF-κB activity and NF-κB–regulated gene products (ref)
9 PI3K–AKT–mTOR (stemness / chemoresistance axis) ↓ PI3K/AKT/mTOR Reduced survival & stemness Chemoresistant lung cancer CSC context: shikonin attenuates PI3K–Akt–mTOR pathway and reduces cancer stemness (ref)
10 Cell cycle control (p21; G2/M arrest) ↑ p21 / ↑ G2/M arrest Proliferation block Gastric cancer (AGS): shikonin induces cell-cycle arrest linked to p21 regulation (ref)
11 Invasion / metastasis programs (NF-κB-linked) ↓ invasion Anti-invasive phenotype Reports shikonin inhibits tumor invasion via down-regulation of NF-κB–related mechanisms in a high-metastatic tumor model (ref)
12 Chemosensitization via glycolysis suppression ↓ glycolysis / ↑ cisplatin sensitivity Combination benefit NSCLC: shikonin inhibits glycolysis and sensitizes cells to cisplatin (explicitly connecting metabolic suppression to chemosensitization) (ref)


GRP78/BiP, HSPA5: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
GRP78 (Pgp, BiP or ERp72) is a central regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function due to its roles in protein folding and assembly, targeting misfolded protein for degradation, ER Ca(2+)-binding and controlling the activation of trans-membrane ER stress sensors.
-GRP78 protein, a marker for endoplasmic reticulum stress
-GRP78’s role as a master regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and cellular stress responses
The association of P-gp and inhibition of cell death in cancerous cells has also been reported in several studies including in hepatocellular, colorectal, prostate cancer, and gastric cancer. Although counterintuitive due to its prominent role in cancer resistance, P-gp has been linked to favorable prognosis.
ERp72 can promote cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating various signaling pathways, including the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways. Additionally, ERp72 can also inhibit apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells, which can contribute to tumor progression. Overexpressed in: Breast, lung colorectal, prostrate, ovarian, pancreatic.

-GRP78 is frequently upregulated in a variety of solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
-Overexpression of GRP78 in cancer cells is often regarded as a marker of increased ER stress due to the reduced oxygen and nutrient supply typically encountered in the tumor microenvironment.
-Elevated GRP78 levels can contribute to tumor cell survival by enhancing the adaptive UPR, allowing cancer cells to cope with therapeutic and metabolic stress.



Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2228- SK,    Shikonin induced Apoptosis Mediated by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Colorectal Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, CRC, HCT116 - in-vitro, CRC, HCT15 - in-vivo, NA, NA
Apoptosis↑, shikonin induced cell apoptosis by down-regulating BCL-2 and activating caspase-3/9 and the cleavage of PARP.
Bcl-2↓,
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
GRP78/BiP↑, The expression of BiP and the PERK/elF2α/ATF4/CHOP and IRE1α /JNK signaling pathways were upregulated after shikonin treatment.
PERK↑,
eIF2α↑,
ATF4↑,
CHOP↑,
JNK↑,
eff↓, pre-treatment with N-acetyl cysteine significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of shikonin
ER Stress↑, Shikonin induced endoplasmic reticulum stress
ROS↑, Shikonin induced reactive oxygen species-mediated ER stress
TumCG↓, Shikonin suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer cells in vivo

2217- SK,    Shikonin Inhibits Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis to Attenuate Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Activating the Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway
- in-vivo, Nor, NA - in-vitro, Nor, HK-2
*ER Stress↓, shikonin alleviated ER stress-induced apoptosis in I/R mice
*SIRT1↑, shikonin activated Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling post-I/R
*NRF2↑,
*HO-1↑,
*eff↓, inhibition of Sirt1 limited shikonin-mediated protection against ER stress-stimulated apoptosis in both animal and cellular models.
*RenoP↑, Shikonin pretreatment alleviates renal I/R injury through activating Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling to inhibit ER stress-mediated apoptosis.
*GRP78/BiP↓, The current study revealed that shikonin significantly downregulated GRP78, CHOP, caspase-12, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins levels in renal tissues of I/R mice and H/R-challenged HK-2 cells
*CHOP↓,
*Casp12↓,
*BAX↓,
*cl‑Casp3↓,


* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 2

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

ROS↑, 1,  

Cell Death

Apoptosis↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 1,   Casp3↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   JNK↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

CHOP↑, 1,   eIF2α↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 1,   GRP78/BiP↑, 1,   PERK↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

cl‑PARP↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

TumCG↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

ATF4↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 15

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

HO-1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

SIRT1↑, 1,  

Cell Death

BAX↓, 1,   Casp12↓, 1,   cl‑Casp3↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

CHOP↓, 1,   ER Stress↓, 1,   GRP78/BiP↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

RenoP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 11

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: GRP78/BiP, HSPA5
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#:150  Target#:356  State#:%  Dir#:%
wNotes=on sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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