title: The Fascinating Effects of Baicalein on Cancer: A Review.
abstract: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and a major global health problem. In recent decades, the rates of both mortality and morbidity of cancer have rapidly increased for a variety of reasons. Despite treatment options, there are serious side effects associated with chemotherapy drugs and multiple forms of drug resistance that significantly reduce their effects. There is an accumulating amount of evidence on the pharmacological activities of baicalein (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and antitumor effects). Furthermore, there has been great progress in elucidating the target mechanisms and signaling pathways of baicalein's anti-cancer potential. The anti-tumor functions of baicalein are mainly due to its capacities to inhibit complexes of cyclins to regulate the cell cycle, to scavenge oxidative radicals, to attenuate mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (Akt) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activities, to induce apoptosis by activating caspase-9/-3 and to inhibit tumorinvasion and metastasis by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9). In this review, we focused on the relevant biological mechanisms of baicalein involved in inhibiting various cancers, such as bladder cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Moreover, we also summarized the specific mechanisms by which baicalein inhibited the growth of various tumors in vivo. Taken together, baicalein may be developed as a potential, novel anticancer drug to treat tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. liuhui09270808@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. dongyonghuitjmu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yonghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. gaoyutong89@163.com.
authors.forename: Yutong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. herrdu@126.com.
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. gnituygnaw@163.com.
authors.forename: Yuting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. pengcheng201507@163.com.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. anminchen@hust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Anmin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. 2007hh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D044950:Flavanones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D044950:Flavanones; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C006680:baicalein; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053453:Caspase 9; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2
keywords: Akt; MAPK; baicalein; cancer; flavonoids; reactive oxygen species (ROS); therapy