Background: Lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Iran. Due to the side effects of common cancer treatments, everyone has turned to herbal remedies and new treatments. This study aimed to compare the effect of S14161 small molecule and Glaucium flavum extract on the induction of apoptosis in A549 cancer cells. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the A549 cell line was treated with different concentrations of G. flavum and S14161 on days 1, 3, and 5. Also, half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC 50) for both G. flavum and S14161 were measured. In addition, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was used to investigate the effects of S14161 and G. flavum extract on the expressions level of Bax, Bad, P53, and Bcl2 genes. Results: Results showed that both the combination of S14161 and G. flavum extract resulted in cell death and reduced cancer cell viability. Nevertheless, the viability rate was greater by S14161, and this small molecule significantly increased the expression of Bax, P53, and Bad apoptotic genes and decreased the expression of the Bcl2 gene, which shows the induced apoptotic death and lethal effect of S14161 in comparison with G. flavum extract. Conclusion: Our study showed that S14161 had fewer IC50 and caused cell death by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway, and G. flavum caused cancer cell death due to its alkaloid compounds. Therefore, both compounds are recommended as drug candidates for the treatment of lung cancer.
Small-Molecule-Targeting Hairpin Loop of hTERT Promoter G-Quadruplex Induces Cancer Cell Death