title: Gigantol Inhibits Epithelial to Mesenchymal Process in Human Lung Cancer Cells.
abstract: Lung cancer remains a leading public health problem as evidenced by its increasing death rate. The main cause of death in lung cancer patients is cancer metastasis. The metastatic behavior of lung cancer cells becomes enhanced when cancer cells undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Gigantol, a bibenzyl compound extracted from the Thai orchid, Dendrobium draconis, has been shown to have promising therapeutic potential against cancer cells, which leads to the hypothesis that gigantol may be able to inhibit the fundamental EMT process in cancer cells. This study has demonstrated for the first time that gigantol possesses the ability to suppress EMT in non-small cell lung cancer H460 cells. Western blot analysis has revealed that gigantol attenuates the activity of ATP-dependent tyrosine kinase (AKT), thereby inhibiting the expression of the major EMT transcription factor, Slug, by both decreasing its transcription and increasing its degradation. The inhibitory effects of gigantol on EMT result in a decrease in the level of migration in H460 lung cancer cells. The results of this study emphasize the potential of gigantol for further development against lung cancer metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Cell-Based Drug and Health Product Development Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thitita
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Unahabhokha
authors.affiliation: Cell-Based Drug and Health Product Development Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pithi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chanvorachote
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Boonchoo
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8352-4122
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sritularak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Jutarat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kitsongsermthon
authors.affiliation: Cell-Based Drug and Health Product Development Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Varisa
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2220-0842
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pongrakhananon