AUTHOR=Li Yue , Zhang Jiongshan , Zhang Kun , Chen Yan , Wang Wei , Chen Hongjie , Zou Zengcheng , Li Yongwei , Dai Min 

TITLE=Scutellaria barbata Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumorigenicity by Inducing Ferroptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2022.693395

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2022.693395

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Ferroptosis is caused by accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, which is characterized by reduction in cell volume and increase in mitochondrial membrane density. Studies have shown that ferroptosis contributes to the development and progression of numerous major diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As a unique biomedical resource, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the treatment of HCC. In this present study, <italic>Scutellaria barbata</italic> was used to treat HCC cells <italic>in vitro</italic>, and the results revealed that <italic>S. barbata</italic> suppressed HCC cell growth through inducing ferroptosis. Next, the exploration of the molecular mechanism on how <italic>S. barbata</italic> induced ferroptosis in HCC cells suggested that <italic>S. barbata</italic> may induce ferroptosis by promoting iron perioxidation and lipid ROS metabolism. Finally, <italic>S. barbata</italic> also inhibited HCC tumorigenicity <italic>in vivo</italic> by inducing ferroptosis of HCC cells. These results provided theoretical basis for explaining the mechanism of TCM treatment for HCC and offered therapeutic opportunities for HCC patients.</p>