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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
Published on: April 7, 2017
Luteolin and its derivatives: modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in fibrosis and cancer
Guodong Zang1, Ying Liu2, Xingyu Mu3
1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Background:
Fibrosis and cancer share epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a core pathological driver, making EMT-targeted therapy a promising dual strategy. The natural flavonoid luteolin shows preliminary anti-fibrotic and anti-tumour activities, but its translational potential remains poorly systematized.
Methods:
We conducted a ConPhyMP compliant systematic review, searching PubMed for 2008-2026 studies on luteolin and its derivatives, EMT, fibrosis and cancer, to synthesize evidence on their mechanisms, efficacy and translational prospects.
Results:
Luteolin inhibits EMT via multi-target regulation of core pathways (TGF-β1/Smad, PI3K/Akt, Hippo/YAP), exerting consistent dose-dependent efficacy in suppressing cancer metastasis and multi-organ fibrosis. Structural modifications and nanodelivery systems resolved its bioavailability limitations, and rigorous validation ruled out pan-assay interference compounds (PAINS).
Conclusion:
Luteolin and its derivatives are promising dual-effect EMT-targeted therapeutics. Optimized formulations lay the groundwork for clinical translation, and future large-scale trials are needed to validate their clinical efficacy.
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