Apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells induced by cordycepin

Abstract

Abstract. Cordycepin, a 3-deoxyadenosine, is the predominant functional component of the fungus Cordyceps militaris, a traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies investigating the inhibition of cancer cells by cordycepin identified that it not only promotes cell apoptosis, but also controls cell proliferation. Furthermore, studies have elucidated the molecular mechanisms of inhibiting cell proliferation by cordycepin binding the A3 adenosine receptor, activating G protein, inhibiting cAMP formation, decreasing glycogen synthase kinase-3β/β-catenin activation and suppressing cyclin D1 and c-myc expression. The most significant signaling pathway in which cell apoptosis is induced by cordycepin is the caspase pathway. Cordycepin induces cell apoptosis via binding the DR3 receptor and consequently activating caspase-8/-3. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that cordycepin may be used as a natural medicine, as it can not only control tumor cell proliferation, but also induce cancer cell apoptosis.

Secondary metabolite gene clusters in the entomopathogen fungus Metarhizium anisopliae: genome identification and patterns of expression in a cuticle infection model

“…Numerous SMs of interest have been isolated from entomopathogenic fungi in recent years (reviewed by [11]), such as beauvericin from Beauveria bassiana , which possesses insecticidal, antifungal, antibacterial and potent cytotoxic activities against human cells [11]. Cordycepin, an SM product from Cordyceps militaris , exhibits apoptotic and anti-proliferative activities against cancer cells [12], and hirsutellic acid A from Hirsutella spp. demonstrates activity against the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum [13].…”

Cordycepin induces apoptosis in human bladder cancer T24 cells through ROS-dependent inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

“…Among them, cordycepin is a type of nucleoside analogue that is isolated from the fungi belonging to the Cordyceps genus, such as Cordyceps militaris and C. sinensis (21)(22)(23). Although various pharmacological actions of cordycepin have been known, research on the anticancer activity, including the induction of apoptosis of cancer cells, has been conducted most extensively (21,(23)(24)(25). For example, the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways may be involved in the induction of apoptosis of human hepatocarcinoma and prostate cancer cells, and mouse Leydig tumor cells by cordycepin (26)(27)(28).…”

“…In addition, the anticancer effects of cordycepin involve the disturbance of various cell signaling pathways, and in particular, cordycepininduced apoptosis in human gastric and ovarian cancer cells and leukemia and glioma cells was accompanied by inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway (31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36). Although the induction of apoptosis by cordycepin in a certain gastric cancer cell line was accompanied by the production of ROS and inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway (24), the underlying mechanism of ROS involved in the inactivation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by cordycepin is still not well known. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of cordycepin on the induction of apoptosis, and evaluated whether its effect was associated with the ROS generation and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in human urinary bladder transitional cell carcinoma T24 cells.…”

Effect of miR-21 on Apoptosis in Lung Cancer Cell Through Inhibiting the PI3K/ Akt/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Vitro and in Vivo

“…Apoptosis is the process of an autonomously and orderly death of cells controlled by genes, and it plays a major role in the maintenance of the internal stability of cells [6-8]. Excessive apoptosis can cause atrophic diseases, and deficiency of apoptosis can cause the loss of cell proliferation, which leads to carcinogenesis [9-11]. Previous research has already demonstrated that the apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP2) is closely related to tumorigenesis [12, 13].…”