Anticancer perspectives of genistein: a comprehensive review

Figures & data

Figure 1. Structure of Genistein.

Table 1. Recent studies of genistein against different cancers.

Type of Cancer	in-vitro/in-vivo	Cell line/Model	Source/Intervention	Effect/mechanism	Reference
Breast	In-vitro	MCF-7	Genistein + coumestrol	Significant reduction of expression of genes CXCR4 and integrin αV and PTHrP and TNF-α	(Mezban and Fox, 2023)
Breast	In-vitro	HFF-1 and MCF-7	Genistein + AIs (Exe, Let, Ana)	Enhanced anticancer effects of steroidal AI-Exe; increased apoptosis and anti-proliferation effects	(Bezerra et al., 2023)
Prostate	In-vitro	LNCaP and PC-3	Genistein + plumbagin	Decreased expression of PI3/AKT3 signaling and Glut-1 receptor	(Tian et al., 2023)
Prostate	In-vitro	LNCaP, DU145 and PC-3	Genistein + I3C	Enhanced pTEN expression, indirect reactivation of the tumor-suppressive pTEN via ubiquitin ligase WWP1 inhibition	(Gano et al., 2023)
Cervical	In-vitro	HeLa	Genistein	Inhibited activation and reduced gene expression of paxillin and FAK	(Chen et al., 2023)
Hepatic	In-vitro	HepG2	GENP	Reduced viability of hepatic cancer cell lines	(Otuechere et al., 2023)
Hepatic	In-vivo	Albino rats	GENP and silymarin	Restoration of hepatic aberrations	(Otuechere et al., 2023)
Hepatic	In-vivo	Wistar rats	Genistein	Enhanced the expression of EGFR, upregulated pSTAT5 and pAKT and PCNA	(Ayala‑Calvillo et al., 2023)
Colon	In-vitro	HT29 and SW480	Genistein	downregulated KCNK9 expression suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities	(Cheng et al., 2023)
Colon	In-vivo	Male nude mice	Genistein	KCNK9 silencing inhibited metastasis, Inhibited KCNK9 expression; downregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway	(Cheng et al., 2023)
Colon	In-vitro	SW480 and SW620	Genistein +5-FU	Upregulation of caspase-3 activity	(Moreno-Quintero et al., 2022)
Lung	In-vitro	BEAS-2B	Genistein + procyanidin B2	Decreased NNKAc-induced ROS, DNA damage via activation of Nrf2.	(Suraweera et al., 2023)
Lung	In-vitro	A549 and 95D	Genistein	FOXO3a and PUMA expression level increased, up-regulated mitochondrial apoptosis inducing proteins	(Chan et al., 2022)
Lung	In-vitro	A549	Genistein	Increased apoptosis via upregulation of IMPDH2/AKT1 pathway	(Xu et al., 2022)
Neuroblasto – ma	In-vitro	SH-SY5Y, Kelly	Genistein + rottlerin	Cell cycle arrest at G1, inhibited EF2K	(Erdogan and Yilmaz, 2023)
Gastric	In-vitro	MGC-803	Genistein	Downregulated of Akt pathway, upregulated Bax/Bcl-2	(Wang et al., 2023)
Ovarian	In-vitro	SKOV-3	Genistein + PLGA-PEG-FA NPs	Enhanced cellular uptake and increased cytotoxicity	(Patra et al., 2022)
Gallbladder	In-vitro	GBC-SD	Genistein + soy isoflavones	Reduction of tyrosine kinase activity of ERBB2, reduced functionality of PTK6-AKT-GSK3b axis, downregulated MCM complex	(Geng et al., 2022)
Gallbladder	In-vivo	Female BALB/c nude mice	Genistein + soy isoflavones	Inhibited tumor development, inhibited tumor proliferation	(Geng et al., 2022)
Leukemia		HL-60	Genistein + Asp	Increased Bax and Bak levels, activated caspase-3, decreased Bcl-2	(Hsiao et al., 2020)

Abbreviations: FAK (Focal Adhesion Kinase), human foreskin fibroblast cell line (HFF-1), aromatase inhibitors (AIs), Exemestane (Exe), Anastrozole (Ana), Letrozole (Let), Genistein-Fortified Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles (GENP), nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45 (NF-E2)-related factor (Nrf2), elongation factor 2 kinase (EF2K), indole-3-carbinol (I3C), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), signal transducer and activator of transcription phosphorylation (pSTAT5), protein kinase B phosphorylation (pAKT), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), folate receptor targeted and PEGylated poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (PLGA-PEG-FA NPs), epidermal growth factor receptor (ERBB), Phosphotyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6), Protein kinase B (AKT), Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3b), minichromosome maintenance (MCM), L-asparaginase (Asp), 5-FU (5-fluorouracil).

Figure 2. Genistein (GNST) as regulator of cellular pathways involved in cancers.