Usnic Acid Evidence by Cancer Type
Cancer-type guide to usnic acid research findings across major tumour models
Current research highlights meaningful usnic-acid findings across several cancer types.
Breast cancer
Themes include apoptosis, autophagy, anti-inflammatory signalling, anti-angiogenic effects, and in vivo tumour-growth inhibition.
Lung cancer
Themes include reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion, plus synergy interest with paclitaxel and cetuximab.
Colon cancer
Themes include cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, EMT suppression, and metabolic disruption.
Gastric cancer
This is one of the clearer in vivo contexts in the source material, including comparisons against 5-FU.
Prostate cancer
Themes include apoptosis, NF-κB suppression, and reduced motility.
Ovarian cancer
Themes include cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and lower migration or invasion potential.
Glioma and BBB-relevant contexts
UA has shown BBB relevance in model systems, making brain-tumour contexts more plausible than for many compounds.
AML-related signalling context
The source material also highlights integrated-stress-response work suggesting sensitisation of AML cells to BCL-2 inhibition.
Bottom line
The signal is broad rather than tumour-type narrow.
That supports UA as a mechanistically flexible investigational adjunct, but not as a validated clinical treatment for any one cancer type yet.
Key References
Multifaceted Properties of Usnic Acid in Disrupting Cancer Hallmarks
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11505503/
Integrated stress response activation induced by usnic acid enhances the sensitivity of AML cells to BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-199
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224004363
Inhibitory Activity of (+)-Usnic Acid against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Motility
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26751081/