Chrysin / uPA Cancer Research Results

CHr, Chrysin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Chrysin is found in passion flower and honey. It is a flavonoid.
-To reach plasma levels that might more closely match the concentrations used in in vitro studies (typically micromolar), considerably high doses or advanced delivery mechanisms would be necessary.
Chrysin is widely summarized as modulating PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways in cancer.

Chrysin — Chrysin is a naturally occurring flavone-class flavonoid found in honey, propolis, passionflower, and several plants. Its oncology relevance is mainly preclinical: it shows multi-pathway anticancer activity in cell and animal models, but native oral chrysin has very poor systemic bioavailability and no established approved oncology use.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Suppression of PI3K/AKT survival signaling with downstream reduction in proliferation and survival programs.
  2. Induction of mitochondrial apoptosis through Bax/Bcl-2 shift, mitochondrial membrane potential loss, cytochrome c release, and caspase activation.
  3. Context-dependent ROS stress amplification in cancer cells, often linked to mitochondrial injury, ER stress, and apoptosis.
  4. ER stress / unfolded-protein-response activation leading to autophagy or stress-to-death coupling.
  5. Suppression of inflammatory, invasive, angiogenic, and metastatic signaling including NF-κB, MMPs, EMT, VEGF, and HIF-1α axes.
  6. Secondary antioxidant / NRF2-linked cytoprotection in some normal-cell or injury models, which is context-dependent and not necessarily anticancer-selective.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Native oral chrysin has very poor systemic exposure because of low aqueous solubility, extensive intestinal/hepatic glucuronidation and sulfation, and efflux; human oral bioavailability has been reported as extremely low, often summarized as below 1%. Formulation strategies such as nanoparticles, lipid systems, micelles, cyclodextrins, or structural analogues are commonly proposed for systemic translation.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Most anticancer studies use micromolar in-vitro concentrations that are unlikely to be reached in plasma after ordinary oral chrysin. Local intestinal exposure may be more plausible than systemic tumor exposure, but systemic anticancer claims should be treated as formulation-dependent.
LipoMicel may increase bioavailability

Clinical evidence status: Preclinical. Evidence is strong enough for mechanistic oncology interest in cell and animal models, including combination/sensitization studies, but there is no mature clinical oncology evidence establishing therapeutic benefit.

-Note half-life 2 hrs, BioAv very poor often <1%
Pathways:
Graphical Pathways

- may induce ROS production
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- May Lower AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, GSH↓ HO1↓
- May Raise AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓,
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, TIMP2, uPA, VEGF↓, ROCK1↓, FAK↓, RhoA↓, NF-κB↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, P53↑, HSP↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓, TET1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, HK2↓, PDKs↓, HK2↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, AMPK↓, ERK↓, JNK, TrxR,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Chrysin Mechanistic Profile

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 PI3K AKT survival signaling PI3K↓; AKT phosphorylation↓; survival signaling↓ R, G Growth and survival suppression Central hub mechanism reported across multiple tumor models; also supports chemosensitization.
2 Mitochondrial apoptosis MMP↓; Bax↑; Bcl-2↓; cytochrome c↑; caspase-9/3↑ ↔ or lower sensitivity R, G Intrinsic apoptosis execution One of the most consistent anticancer endpoints, usually downstream of stress and survival-pathway suppression.
3 Mitochondrial ROS stress ROS↑ (context-dependent); oxidative stress↑; lipid peroxidation↑ ROS↓ or antioxidant protection (context-dependent) P, R, G Stress amplification Direction is dose- and model-dependent; cancer models often show pro-oxidant stress, while normal injury models may show antioxidant behavior.
4 ER stress and UPR ER stress↑; GRP78↑; UPR↑; autophagy or apoptosis↑ R, G Stress-to-death coupling Important in several chrysin cancer models and in some drug-combination effects.
5 NF-κB inflammatory transcription NF-κB↓; COX-2↓; IL-6↓; TNF-α↓ Inflammatory injury signaling↓ R, G Anti-inflammatory and anti-survival signaling May contribute to reduced proliferation, invasion, and cytokine-driven tumor support.
6 Invasion EMT and MMPs EMT↓; MMP-2↓; MMP-9↓; uPA↓; migration↓; invasion↓ G Anti-invasive phenotype Mechanistically relevant for metastasis models but generally later and context-dependent.
7 Angiogenesis and HIF-1α VEGF signaling HIF-1α↓; VEGF↓; angiogenic output↓ G Anti-angiogenic support Reported in preclinical models; may overlap with oxidative stress and DNA damage response pathways.
8 Glycolysis and metabolic stress GLUT1↓; HK2↓; LDH↓; PDK1↓; lactate production↓; ATP↓ G Metabolic suppression Relevant but less central than apoptosis and survival signaling; strongest interpretation is model-dependent.
9 NRF2 antioxidant axis NRF2↓ or antioxidant defense↓ (model-dependent) NRF2↑; SOD↑; GSH↑; catalase↑ (context-dependent) R, G Context-dependent redox selectivity Potentially useful but also interpret carefully because NRF2 activation can be protective in normal cells and sometimes undesirable in cancer cells.
10 Chemosensitization and radiosensitization Drug-induced toxicity↑; apoptosis↑; resistance signaling↓ Chemoprotection reported in some injury models G Adjunct sensitization Promising preclinical adjunct signal, but not clinically established.
11 Clinical Translation Constraint Systemic exposure low after native oral dosing Dose and formulation constraints G Translation limitation Very poor oral bioavailability is the dominant practical constraint; formulation or local GI targeting is likely required.

Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G

  • P: 0–30 min (primary/physical–chemical effects; rapid signaling / phosphorylation shifts)
  • R: 30 min–3 hr (acute stress-response and redox signaling)
  • G: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotype-level outcomes)


uPA, Urokinase plasminogen activator: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
uPA (urokinase plasminogen activator) is a serine protease that plays a crucial role in the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, an enzyme responsible for degrading various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This activity is central to processes such as tissue remodeling, cell migration, and angiogenesis. In the context of cancer, uPA facilitates tumor invasion and metastasis by promoting ECM degradation, while its interaction with its receptor (uPAR) and inhibitors (such as PAI-1) forms a regulatory axis that is frequently dysregulated in malignancies.

Patients with higher pretreatment serum uPA (≥1 ng/ml) had significantly shorter OS.

Elevated uPA expression has been observed in a broad range of cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. These high levels are often indicative of increased proteolytic activity within the tumor microenvironment.
Tumors with aggressive behavior often exhibit upregulation of uPA, along with its receptor uPAR. This upregulation enhances plasmin generation and leads to an environment conducive to invasion and metastasis.

Elevated uPA levels in tumor tissues have been strongly associated with poor clinical outcomes. High uPA expression is correlated with increased risk of metastasis, higher likelihood of recurrence, and reduced overall survival in several cancer types.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2781- CHr,  PBG,    Chrysin a promising anticancer agent: recent perspectives
- Review, Var, NA
PI3K↓, It can block Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling in different animals against various cancers
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
MMP9↑, Chrysin strongly suppresses Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. factors that can cause cancer
uPA↓,
VEGF↓,
AR↓, Chrysin has the ability to suppress the androgen receptor (AR), a protein necessary for prostate cancer development and metastasis
Casp↑, starts the caspase cascade and blocks protein synthesis to kill lung cancer cells
TumMeta↓, Chrysin significantly decreased lung cancer metastasis i
TumCCA↑, Chrysin induces apoptosis and stops colon cancer cells in the G2/M cell cycle phase
angioG↓, Chrysin prevents tumor growth and cancer spread by blocking blood vessel expansion
BioAv↓, Chrysin’s solubility, accessibility and bioavailability may limit its medical use.
*hepatoP↑, As chrysin reduced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in rat liver cells exposed to a toxic chemical agent.
*neuroP↑, Protecting the brain against oxidative stress (GPx) may be aided by increasing levels of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).
*SOD↑,
*GPx↑,
*ROS↓, A decrease in oxidative stress and an increase in antioxidant capacity may result from chrysin’s anti-inflammatory properties
*Inflam↓,
*Catalase↑, Supplementation with chrysin increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes like SOD and catalase and reduced the levels of oxidative stress markers like malondialdehyde (MDA) in the colon tissue of the rats.
*MDA↓, Antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT) and oxidative stress marker (MDA) levels were both enhanced by chrysin supplementation in mouse liver tissue
ROS↓, reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress markers in the cancer cells further indicated the antioxidant activity of chrysin
BBB↑, After crossing the blood-brain barrier, it has been shown to accumulate there
Half-Life↓, The half-life of chrysin in rats is predicted to be close to 2 hours.
BioAv↑, Taking chrysin with food may increase the effectiveness of the supplement: increased by a factor of 1.8 when taken with a high-fat meal
ROS↑, In contrast to 5-FU/oxaliplatin, chrysin increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn causes autophagy by stopping Akt and mTOR from doing their jobs
eff↑, mixture of chrysin and cisplatin caused the SCC-25 and CAL-27 cell lines to make more oxygen free radicals. After treatment with chrysin, cisplatin, or both, the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found to have gone up.
ROS↑, When reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium levels in the cytoplasm rise because of chrysin, OC cells die.
ROS↑, chrysin is the cause of death in both types of prostate cancer cells. It does this by depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), making reactive oxygen species (ROS), and starting lipid peroxidation.
lipid-P↑,
ER Stress↑, when chrysin is present in DU145 and PC-3 cells, the expression of a group of proteins that control ER stress goes up
NOTCH1↑, Chrysin increased the production of Notch 1 and hairy/enhancer of split 1 at the protein and mRNA levels, which stopped cells from dividing
NRF2↓, Not only did chrysin stop Nrf2 and the genes it controls from working, but it also caused MCF-7 breast cancer cells to die via apoptosis.
p‑FAK↓, After 48 hours of treatment with chrysin at amounts between 5 and 15 millimoles, p-FAK and RhoA were greatly lowered
Rho↓,
PCNA↓, Lung histology and immunoblotting studies of PCNA, COX-2, and NF-B showed that adding chrysin stopped the production of these proteins and maintained the balance of cells
COX2↓,
NF-kB↓,
PDK1↓, After the chrysin was injected, the genes PDK1, PDK3, and GLUT1 that are involved in glycolysis had less expression
PDK3↑,
GLUT1↓,
Glycolysis↓, chrysin stops glycolysis
mt-ATP↓, chrysin inhibits complex II and ATPases in the mitochondria of cancer cells
Ki-67↓, the amounts of Ki-67, which is a sign of growth, and c-Myc in the tumor tissues went down
cMyc↓,
ROCK1↓, (ROCK1), transgelin 2 (TAGLN2), and FCH and Mu domain containing endocytic adaptor 2 (FCHO2) were much lower.
TOP1↓, DNA topoisomerases and histone deacetylase were inhibited, along with the synthesis of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and (IL-1 beta), while the activity of protective signaling pathways was increased
TNF-α↓,
IL1β↓,
CycB/CCNB1↓, Chrysin suppressed cyclin B1 and CDK2 production in order to stop cancerous growth.
CDK2↓,
EMT↓, chrysin treatment can also stop EMT
STAT3↓, chrysin block the STAT3 and NF-B pathways, but it also greatly reduced PD-L1 production both in vivo and in vitro.
PD-L1↓,
IL2↑, chrysin increases both the rate of T cell growth and the amount of IL-2


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

lipid-P↑, 1,   NRF2↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   ROS↑, 3,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

mt-ATP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

cMyc↓, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 1,   PDK1↓, 1,   PDK3↑, 1,  

Cell Death

Akt↓, 1,   Casp↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

ER Stress↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

PCNA↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

CDK2↓, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

EMT↓, 1,   mTOR↓, 1,   NOTCH1↑, 1,   PI3K↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 1,   TOP1↓, 1,  

Migration

p‑FAK↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   MMP9↑, 1,   Rho↓, 1,   ROCK1↓, 1,   TumMeta↓, 1,   uPA↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

angioG↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport

BBB↑, 1,   GLUT1↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

COX2↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL2↑, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   PD-L1↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors

AR↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↓, 1,   BioAv↑, 1,   eff↑, 1,   Half-Life↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

AR↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   PD-L1↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 47

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   MDA↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

Inflam↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

hepatoP↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 8

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: uPA, Urokinase plasminogen activator
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#:61  Target#:428  State#:%  Dir#:%
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