Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples
Published on: October 2, 2020
Gigantol Suppresses Cancer Stem Cell-Like Phenotypes in Lung Cancer Cells
Narumol Bhummaphan1, Pithi Chanvorachote2
1Cell-Based Drug and Health Product Development Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Abstract:
As cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to malignancy, metastasis, and relapse of cancers, potential of compound in inhibition of CSCs has garnered most attention in the cancer research as well as drug development fields recently. Herein, we have demonstrated for the first time that gigantol, a pure compound isolated from Dendrobium draconis, dramatically suppressed stem-like phenotypes of human lung cancer cells. Gigantol at nontoxic concentrations significantly reduced anchorage-independent growth and survival of the cancer cells. Importantly, gigantol significantly reduced the ability of the cancer cells to form tumor spheroids, a critical hallmark of CSCs. Concomitantly, the treatment of the compound was shown to reduce well-known lung CSCs markers, including CD133 and ALDH1A1. Moreover, we revealed that gigantol decreased stemness in the cancer cells by suppressing the activation of protein kinase B (Akt) signal which in turn decreased the cellular levels of pluripotency and self-renewal factors Oct4 and Nanog. In conclusion, gigantol possesses CSCs suppressing activity which may facilitate the development of this compound for therapeutic approaches by targeting CSCs.
Insights
Gigantol, a compound from Dendrobium draconis, effectively suppresses cancer stem cell (CSC) properties in lung cancer. This compound reduces tumor growth and key CSC markers, offering therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive tumor malignancy, metastasis, and relapse.
- Targeting CSCs is a key strategy in cancer research and drug development.
- Identifying novel compounds that inhibit CSCs is of significant interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of gigantol, a compound from Dendrobium draconis, in suppressing cancer stem cell phenotypes.
- To evaluate the effects of gigantol on the stem-like properties of human lung cancer cells.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of human lung cancer cells with gigantol at nontoxic concentrations.
- Assessment of anchorage-independent growth and survival.
- Evaluation of tumor spheroid formation capacity.
- Analysis of cancer stem cell markers (CD133, ALDH1A1).
- Investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms involving the Akt signaling pathway and pluripotency factors (Oct4, Nanog).
Main Results:
- Gigantol significantly suppressed stem-like phenotypes in human lung cancer cells.
- Nontoxic concentrations of gigantol reduced anchorage-independent growth and survival.
- Gigantol markedly decreased tumor spheroid formation, a critical CSC hallmark.
- Treatment with gigantol led to reduced expression of lung CSC markers CD133 and ALDH1A1.
- Gigantol suppressed Akt signaling, decreasing cellular levels of Oct4 and Nanog, thereby reducing stemness.
Conclusions:
- Gigantol exhibits significant cancer stem cell-suppressing activity in lung cancer.
- The mechanism involves the suppression of Akt signaling and downstream pluripotency factors.
- Gigantol shows therapeutic potential for targeting CSCs in cancer treatment strategies.
More Related Videos
07:48Utilizing Functional Genomics Screening to Identify Potentially Novel Drug Targets in Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures
Published on: December 26, 2016
09:24Combined Conditional Knockdown and Adapted Sphere Formation Assay to Study a Stemness-Associated Gene of Patient-derived Gastric Cancer Stem Cells
Published on: May 9, 2020
Related Concept Videos
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
01:05Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...