PUBLICATION

Faberidilactone A, a Sesquiterpene Dimer, Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression Through Apoptosis, Ferroptosis, and Anti-Metastatic Mechanisms

Authors
Cao, R., Liu, Y., Bao, J., Rong, M., Xu, J., Liao, H., Guo, Y.
ID
ZDB-PUB-250313-35
Date
2025
Source
Molecules   30: (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
FAK, STAT3, antitumor, faberidilactone A, sesquiterpenoid dimer, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism
  • Sesquiterpenes*/chemistry
  • Sesquiterpenes*/pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
  • Apoptosis*/drug effects
  • Signal Transduction/drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*/drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*/metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*/pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms*/drug therapy
  • Liver Neoplasms*/metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms*/pathology
  • Ferroptosis*/drug effects
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Cell Movement/drug effects
  • Zebrafish*
  • Cell Proliferation*/drug effects
  • Animals
PubMed
40076318 Full text @ Molecules
Abstract
Cancer remains a significant global public health challenge, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranking among the top five malignancies in terms of mortality. Faberidilactone A, a sesquiterpenoid dimer isolated from Inula japonica, exhibits potent cytotoxicity against various human tumor cell lines and demonstrates remarkable antitumor potential. In vitro studies using HepG2 cells revealed that faberidilactone A induces apoptosis and ferroptosis, causes cell cycle arrest, enhances the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and disrupts mitochondrial function. Mechanistic investigations via Western blot analysis indicated that faberidilactone A impedes HepG2 cell proliferation by modulating the signal transducer and activator of the transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway and inhibits metastasis by affecting the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathway. In vivo experiments using a zebrafish model demonstrated that faberidilactone A effectively suppresses the dissemination and metastasis of HepG2 cells and exhibits anti-angiogenic properties. When the concentration of faberidilactone A reached 10 µM, the inhibition rates of tumor proliferation, migration, and intersegmental vessels (ISVs) length were 76.9%, 72.6%, and 46.2%, respectively. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of faberidilactone A as a promising agent for HCC treatment.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping