Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase
09:51

Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase

Published on: June 30, 2023

β-Elemene-induced autophagy protects human gastric cancer cells from undergoing apoptosis

Jing Liu1, Ye Zhang, Jinglei Qu

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China.

BMC Cancer
|May 21, 2011
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Beta-elemene, a natural compound, shows anti-cancer effects by inducing autophagy and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. Combining beta-elemene with autophagy inhibitors may improve treatment for advanced gastric cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Beta-elemene, derived from traditional Chinese medicine, exhibits broad-spectrum anti-cancer properties.
  • The precise mechanism of beta-elemene's cytotoxic effects on cancer cells is not fully understood.
  • Gastric cancer remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anti-tumor effects of beta-elemene on human gastric cancer cell lines.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying beta-elemene's anti-cancer activity, focusing on apoptosis and autophagy.
  • To explore the potential of combining beta-elemene with autophagy inhibitors for enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Cell viability assays were performed on MGC803 and SGC7901 gastric cancer cells treated with varying concentrations of beta-elemene.
  • Apoptosis was assessed through standard assays, and autophagy was evaluated by monitoring LC3 puncta, cellular morphology, and LC3-II protein levels.
  • Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of autophagy-related proteins, including the Atg5-Atg12 conjugate, and to assess the activity of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 signaling pathway.
  • Gene silencing of Beclin 1 and treatment with autophagy inhibitors (3-methyladenine, chloroquine) were employed to investigate the role of autophagy in beta-elemene's anti-tumor effects.

Main Results:

  • Beta-elemene significantly inhibited the viability of human gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, primarily through the induction of apoptosis.
  • Treatment with beta-elemene robustly induced autophagy, evidenced by increased LC3 dots and LC3-II protein levels, and upregulated the Atg5-Atg12 conjugate.
  • Beta-elemene suppressed the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 signaling pathway, and inhibiting autophagy (via Beclin 1 knockdown or chemical inhibitors) potentiated beta-elemene's anti-cancer effects.

Conclusions:

  • Beta-elemene induces protective autophagy, which paradoxically prevents gastric cancer cells from undergoing apoptosis.
  • The findings suggest that targeting autophagy in conjunction with beta-elemene administration could be a promising therapeutic strategy for advanced gastric cancer.
  • This study provides novel insights into the complex interplay between beta-elemene, autophagy, and apoptosis in gastric cancer treatment.

Related Concept Videos

Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...