Kaempferol and Its Role in Cancer Cell Modulation
Summary
Kaempferol is a polyphenolic flavonol widely distributed in fruits and vegetables, notable for its multifaceted anticancer properties. It modulates cancer cell behaviour through induction of apoptosis and arrest of cell cycle progression, as well as by interference with key signalling cascades such as PI3K/AKT and NF-κB. Kaempferol can act as both an antioxidant and a controlled pro-oxidant, modulating reactive oxygen species levels to inhibit tumour growth. Preclinical work has revealed its capacity to reverse chemoresistance and enhance the efficacy of standard therapies, with molecular studies highlighting targets from transglutaminase 2 to steroid-metabolising enzymes. Approaches that integrate network pharmacology and transcriptomic profiling have further elucidated kaempferol’s network of interactions, underscoring its potential as a lead compound for adjuvant treatment strategies and as a dietary supplement to complement conventional oncology regimens.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have demonstrated that kaempferol can overcome 5-fluorouracil resistance in colon cancer by synergistically enhancing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in drug-resistant LS174-R cells. This approach was found to inhibit viability through modulation of PI3K/AKT signalling while also attenuating reactive oxygen species production. Computational docking analyses indicate that the aglycone form of kaempferol exhibits superior binding affinity to proliferative effectors compared with its glycosylated analogues, highlighting the importance of structural features in chemosensitisation.
Kaempferol and Its Role in Cancer Cell Modulation publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in kaempferol and its role in cancer cell modulation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Apoptosis: Programmed cell death crucial for the removal of damaged or unwanted cells.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive oxygen-derived molecules that can induce cellular damage or signalling events.
PI3K/AKT signalling: A pathway that regulates cell growth, metabolism and survival.
Chemoresistance: The ability of cancer cells to resist the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy.
Xenograft model: An in vivo system in which human cancer cells are implanted into immunocompromised animals.
Network pharmacology: A systems-level strategy to map interactions between bioactive compounds and multiple molecular targets.
Molecular docking: A computational method to predict how a molecule binds to a target protein and its relative affinity.
References
- An integrated approach of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification uncovers kaempferol as the effective modulator of HSD17B1 for treatment of endometrial cancer. Journal of Translational Medicine (2023).
- Kaempferol: A Key Emphasis to Its Anticancer Potential. Molecules (2019).
- Kaempferol induces ROS-dependent apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells via TGM2-mediated Akt/mTOR signaling. BMC Cancer (2021).
- The Phenolic compound Kaempferol overcomes 5-fluorouracil resistance in human resistant LS174 colon cancer cells. Scientific Reports (2019).
- Antioxidant Role of Kaempferol in Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Antioxidants (2021).
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