Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) Expression Can Be Modulated via NFκB

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 10; no. 11; p. 2985
• Main Authors: Zia, Saadiya, Tehreem, Komal, Batool, Sidra, Ishfaq, Mehreen, Mirza, Shaher Bano, Khan, Shahrukh, Almashjary, Majed N., Hazzazi, Mohannad S., Qanash, Husam, Shaikh, Ahmad, Baty, Roua S., Jafri, Ibrahim, Alsubhi, Nouf H., Alrefaei, Ghadeer I., Sami, Rokayya, Shahid, Ramla
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 20.11.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Binding sites; Breast cancer; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell adhesion molecules; Cell cycle; Cell growth; cell proliferation; costunolide; epithelial cell adhesion molecule; Epithelial cells; Gene expression; Herbal medicine; Hydrophobicity; Leukemia; Ligands; Lymphatic leukemia; Medicinal plants; Myc protein; NF-κB protein; Ovaries; Pediatrics; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Skin cancer; Software; Stem cells; Telomerase; telomerase inhibition; Telomeres; Transcription factors; United States > US; costunolide; cell proliferation; acute lymphoblastic leukemia; telomerase inhibition; epithelial cell adhesion molecule
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112985

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is considered an essential proliferation signature in cancer. In the current research study, qPCR induced expression of EpCAM was noted in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone found in crepe ginger and lettuce, is a medicinal herb with anticancer properties. Expression of EpCAM and its downstream target genes (Myc and TERT) wasdownregulated upon treatment with costunolide in Jurkat cells. A significant change in the telomere length of Jurkat cells was not noted at 72 h of costunolide treatment. An in silico study revealed hydrophobic interactions between EpCAM extracellular domain and Myc bHLH with costunolide. Reduced expression of NFκB, a transcription factor of EpCAM, Myc, and TERT in costunolide-treated Jurkat cells, suggested that costunolide inhibits gene expression by targeting NFκB and its downstream targets. Overall, the study proposes that costunolide could be a promising therapeutic biomolecule for leukemia.