cancer-research
Cancer research investigates the biological mechanisms underlying uncontrolled cell growth in order to develop prevention, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies. In plant science, this field intersects through the study of bioactive plant compounds—such as alkaloids, terpenoids, and polyphenols—that exhibit antitumor properties, driving research into their biosynthesis, extraction, and pharmacological potential. Understanding how plants produce these compounds at a molecular level can inform both drug discovery pipelines and efforts to optimize medicinal plant cultivation.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-06-01
A compound extracted from ginseng root called Ginsenoside Rg3 was shown to disrupt the support network that lung cancer tumors rely on to grow and resist treatment, opening a potential new avenue for cancer therapy.
Ginsenoside Rg3 identified 107 molecular targets overlapping with non-small cell lung cancer, with network analysis pinpointing EGFR, JUN, TP53, and STAT3 as the most critical hubs.
Rg3 inhibited cancer-associated fibroblast proliferation, colony formation, and migration while also triggering cell death and disrupting mitochondrial function in those support cells.
Rg3 suppressed tumor-promoting communication between fibroblasts and lung cancer cells by upregulating IL-17RD and blocking the FGFR1-MAP2K4-JNK-c-Jun signaling chain.
