1. Academic Validation
  2. GKB202 suppresses endothelin-1/ERK signaling in pancreatic cancer cells: Potential implications for circulating tumor cell regulation

GKB202 suppresses endothelin-1/ERK signaling in pancreatic cancer cells: Potential implications for circulating tumor cell regulation

  • Biomed Pharmacother. 2025 Aug:189:118341. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118341.
Yu-Fang Hu 1 Andy Y Chen 2 Jun-Way Chang 1 Shu-Yu Chen 3 I-Chen Li 4 Ruey-Hwang Chou 5 Ting-Wei Lin 4 Shih-Pei Wu 6 Long-Sheng Lu 7 Tsung-Ju Li 8 Chin-Chu Chen 9
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 PhD Program for Health Science and Industry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
  • 2 Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, CA, USA.
  • 3 Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • 4 Biotech Research Institute, Grape King Bio Ltd., Taoyuan, Taiwan.
  • 5 The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
  • 6 CancerFree Biotech Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan.
  • 7 TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; International Ph. D. Program for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: lslu@tmu.edu.tw.
  • 8 Biotech Research Institute, Grape King Bio Ltd., Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: tsungju.li@grapeking.com.tw.
  • 9 Biotech Research Institute, Grape King Bio Ltd., Long Tan Dist., Taoyuan City 325, Taiwan; Institute of BioPharmaceutical Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan; Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan. Electronic address: gkbioeng@grapeking.com.tw.
Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a key role in Cancer metastasis. However, the complex tumor microenvironment means that targeting these cells therapeutically remains a major clinical challenge. The natural compound GKB202, derived from the mycelium of Antrodia cinnamomea, has been shown to possess anti-cancer properties. Yet, its role in regulating signaling mechanisms preceding Cancer metastasis remains unclear. In this study, RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that GKB202 treatment reduced endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression and downregulated signaling cascades in CTCs derived from pancreatic Cancer patients. Furthermore, conditioned medium assays indicated that GKB202 prevented Cancer cells from stimulating endothelial cells to produce ET-1 and activate ERK/p-ERK downstream signaling, suggesting its potential to inhibit CTCs and prevent the extravasation process. Using protein interaction prediction tools and pathway analysis (STRING and KEGG), we identified interactions between ET-1, MAPK, and Akt, which are associated with tumor angiogenesis pathways. Molecular docking analysis further revealed that GKB202 can act as an ETB receptor antagonist, with a binding energy comparable to that of Bosentan, a known ETB receptor blocker. In addition, combination index (CI) analysis demonstrated that GKB202 exhibited significant synergistic effects with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a first-line chemotherapeutic agent. Based on these findings, this study highlights the potential of GKB202 to inhibit Cancer cell-induced ET-1 production in endothelial cells, providing novel insights into the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, as a naturally derived small-molecule compound, GKB202 may serve as a promising candidate for future therapeutic interventions.

Keywords

Antrodia cinnamomea mycelium; Circulating tumor cells; Endothelial-1; GKB202; Patient-derived organoid.

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