Emodin / EMT Cancer Research Results

EMD, Emodin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Organic compound isolated from rhubarb, buckthorn, knotweed. It has laxative, anticancer, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, and antiviral activities, and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Emodin, an anthraquinone derivative found in various plants (e.g., rhubarb, Polygonum cuspidatum).

Pathways:
- Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
- Upregulation Bax downregulation of Bcl‑2, caspase activation and cyt_c release.
- Induce cell cycle arrest at various checkpoints (commonly G0/G1 or G2/M phases.
- Can inhibit NF‑κB activation
– MAPK Pathways
– PI3K/Akt Pathway
- Metalloproteinases (MMPs)

-ic50 cancer cells 10-50uM, normal cells higher(supports a therapeutic window)

Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Label Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS Driver Upstream cytotoxic trigger Emodin induces ROS in cancer cells; ROS increase is positioned upstream of mitochondrial dysfunction and death signaling. (ref)
2 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) ↓ ΔΨm Driver Mitochondrial dysfunction Emodin decreases mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), consistent with mitochondria-dependent killing. (ref)
3 Intrinsic apoptosis (caspase cascade) ↑ apoptosis (↑ caspases / ↑ PARP cleavage) Driver Execution-phase cell death Emodin activates caspase-dependent apoptosis with mitochondrial involvement in colon cancer models. (ref)
4 AMPK → AKT/mTOR axis ↑ AMPK / ↓ AKT-mTOR signaling Secondary Growth/metabolic suppression NSCLC study reports AMPK activation with inhibition of AKT/mTOR alongside apoptosis and ROS increase (consistent directionality). (ref)
5 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation (↓ p65 nuclear translocation; ↓ IκBα phosphorylation/degradation) Secondary Reduced pro-survival/inflammatory transcription Emodin inhibits TNF-α–induced NF-κB activation by blocking IκBα phosphorylation/degradation and p65 nuclear activity. (ref)
6 STAT3 signaling ↓ STAT3 activation (↓ phosphorylation) Secondary Reduced survival/proliferation signaling HCC study shows emodin suppresses STAT3 activation (and discusses upstream kinase modulation), supporting directionality as STAT3↓. (ref)
7 HIF-1α hypoxia program ↓ HIF-1α (↓ biosynthesis; not via transcription/stability) Adaptive Reduced hypoxia tolerance Pancreatic cancer study: emodin decreases HIF-1α by decreasing biosynthesis (explicit mechanism stated). (ref)
8 Aerobic glycolysis (Warburg output) ↓ glycolysis (↓ ECAR / ↓ glycolytic dependence) Phenotypic Metabolic suppression Renal cancer paper reports emodin inhibits aerobic glycolysis (and links killing to a non-apoptotic death mode in that model). (ref)
9 HDAC inhibition (epigenetic enzyme activity) ↓ HDAC activity Secondary Epigenetic modulation Direct biochemical evidence: emodin inhibits HDAC activity in vitro (fast-on/slow-off kinetics reported). (ref)
10 NRF2 / HO-1 antioxidant response ↑ NRF2 / ↑ HO-1 (context-dependent stress response) Adaptive Counter-response to redox stress HCC model reports emodin increases NRF2 and HO-1 expression; interpret as adaptive/compensatory (not necessarily the cytotoxic driver). (ref)


EMT, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Biological process in which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion properties and gain mesenchymal traits, such as increased motility and invasiveness. This process is pivotal during embryogenesis and wound healing. Hh signaling pathway is able to regulate the EMT. Snail, E-cadherin and N-cadherin, key components of EMT; EMT-related factors, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin; The hallmark of EMT is the upregulation of N-cadherin followed by the downregulation of E-cadherin.
EMT is regulated by various signaling pathways, including TGF-β, Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways. Transcription factors such as Snail, Slug, Twist, and ZEB play critical roles in repressing epithelial markers (like E-cadherin) and promoting mesenchymal markers (like N-cadherin and vimentin).
EMT is associated with increased tumor aggressiveness, enhanced migratory and invasive capabilities, and resistance to apoptosis.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
1322- EMD,    The versatile emodin: A natural easily acquired anthraquinone possesses promising anticancer properties against a variety of cancers
- Review, Var, NA
Apoptosis↑, TumCP↓, ROS↑, TumAuto↑, EMT↓, TGF-β↓, DNAdam↑, ER Stress↑, TumCCA↑, ATP↓, NF-kB↓, CYP1A1↑, STAC2↓, JAK↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, MAPK↓, FASN↓, HER2/EBBR2↓, ChemoSen↑, eff↑, ChemoSen↑, angioG↓, VEGF↓, MMP2↓, eNOS↓, FOXD3↑, MMP9↓, TIMP1↑,
1247- EMD,    Emodin exerts antitumor effects in ovarian cancer cell lines by preventing the development of cancer stem cells via epithelial mesenchymal transition
- vitro+vivo, Ovarian, SKOV3 - in-vitro, Ovarian, A2780S
TumCP↓, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, EMT↓, N-cadherin↓, Vim↓, E-cadherin↑, TumCG↓, CD133↓, OCT4↓, CSCs↓,
1246- EMD,    Emodin reduces Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis by suppressing Macrophage-induced Breast Cancer Cell Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and Cancer Stem Cell formation
- in-vivo, BC, NA
TGF-β↓, EMT↓, CSCs↓,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 3 of 3

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 3

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

CYP1A1↑, 1,   ROS↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

ATP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

FASN↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Akt↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 1,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction

FOXD3↑, 1,   HER2/EBBR2↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

ER Stress↑, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes

TumAuto↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

DNAdam↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

CD133↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 2,   EMT↓, 3,   OCT4↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 1,  

Migration

E-cadherin↑, 1,   MMP2↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   STAC2↓, 1,   TGF-β↓, 2,   TIMP1↑, 1,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 2,   Vim↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

angioG↓, 1,   eNOS↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

JAK↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

ChemoSen↑, 2,   eff↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

HER2/EBBR2↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 38

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: EMT, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
3 Emodin
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#:75  Target#:96  State#:%  Dir#:%
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

Home Page