Anti-cancer effect of toosendanin and its underlying mechanisms

Abstract

Toosendanin (TSN) is a triterpenoid purified from the medicinal herb Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc and has been used as an insecticide for decades. Recent studies have attracted increasing interest of TSN due to its novel anti-cancer effect in diverse cancer models. The broad spectrum anti-cancer activity suggests that TSN inhibits multiple pathways/targets that are critical for cancer cell survival and proliferation. Our recent study indicated that TSN has anti-cancer effect in glioblastoma through induction of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and p53. This review highlights the anti-cancer efficacy of TSN and provides proof-of-principle insight into the underlying mechanisms.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Toosendanin
• apoptosis
• autophagy
• cell cycle
• estrogen receptor

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation [grant number #81273879], [grant number #81573851].