Although comprehensive exertions have been made in late decades for treating advanced
lung cancer with inclusive
therapies but efficient anti-
lung cancer therapeutics are statically inadequate in the clinics. Hence, compelling novel anti-
lung cancer drugs are considerably desired. This backdrop enticed us to unveil anticancer efficacy of
astrakurkurol, derivative of wild edible mushroom against
lung cancer, whose effects have not yet been described. Mechanistic analysis disclosed that sensitizing effect of
astrakurkurol is due to cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, increased level of Fas, FADD, decreased ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and increased cleaved form of
caspase 9, 8, and 3. Apart from the induction of apoptosis, it was demonstrated for the first time that
astrakurkurol induced an autophagic response as evidenced by the development of acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs) with up-regulation of
beclin-1, Atg7, and downregulated p62. Apoptosis and autophagy can be sparked by the same stimuli, which was as evident from the
astrakurkurol-induced inactivation of PI3K/AKT signaling. The thorough scanning of the mechanism of crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy is requisite for prosperous anticancer remedy.
Triterpenoid has evidently intensified cytotoxicity, induced apoptosis and autophagy on A549 cells. Besides
astrakurkurol could also curb migration and regress the size of
tumor in ex ovo xenograft model. All these findings put forth
astrakurkurol as a convincing novel anti-
cancer agent, for scrutinizing the
lung cancer therapies and as a robust contender for future in vitro and in vivo analysis.