Ethoxysanguinarine Induces Inhibitory Effects and Downregulates CIP2A in Lung Cancer Cells

Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is an oncoprotein that is able to stabilize c-Myc oncogenic transcription factor and promote proliferation and transformation of cells. CIP2A is overexpressed in many primary tumors, and pharmacological inactivation of CIP2A is an emerging concept for the development of novel anticancer agents. In this study, we demonstrate that overexpression of CIP2A predicts poor prognosis in lung cancer, and a natural compound, ethoxysanguinarine (ESG), effectively downregulates CIP2A protein and its downstream signaling molecules, c-Myc and pAkt, and induces protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity. ESG inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of lung cancer cells, and enhances the effects of cisplatin on malignant cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that CIP2A is inversely associated with the clinical outcome of lung cancer, and ESG can serve as a lead compound for the development of CIP2A inhibitor for cancer therapies.