Triptonide inhibits growth and metastasis in HCC by suppressing EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), presents a significant global health challenge with increasing incidence.
• Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant containing the compound triptonide.
• Exploring novel therapeutic agents for liver cancer is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the anticancer properties of triptonide against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying triptonide's effects on HCC cells and tumor growth.

Main Methods:

• In vitro assays (CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, Transwell) were used to assess HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion.
• In vivo studies involved noninvasive ultrasound imaging of tumor growth and a metastasis model in nude mice.
• Western blotting was employed to analyze the expression of proteins in the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and its downstream targets.

Main Results:

• Triptonide significantly repressed HCC cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and caused cell cycle arrest in vitro.
• In vivo, triptonide suppressed tumor growth and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, invasion, and lung metastasis.
• Triptonide functions by inhibiting the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, affecting key proteins like cyclin D1, Bcl-2, E-cadherin, and MMP-9.

Conclusions:

• Triptonide exhibits potent anticancer effects against hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting proliferation, EMT, migration, and invasion, while promoting apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.
• The mechanism involves the repression of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
• Triptonide demonstrates significant therapeutic potential for liver cancer treatment.