Tier 4 — mechanistic

Apigenin Inhibits the Growth of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) Cells by Harnessing the Expression of MicroRNAs

Nouman Amjad, Muhammad Majid, Zhaojian Sun, Rajesh Basnet, Kashaf Rasool, Linping Wu, Zhiyuan Li
Biomolecules 2026 16(3):366

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 41897301
PubMed Central
PMC13023640
DOI
10.3390/biom16030366

Study snapshot

DesignIn vitro cancer-cell study with small-RNA sequencing
ModelTE-1 and Eca-109 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines
Sample
InterventionDose-dependent apigenin exposure
Duration
EndpointsCell proliferation; Apoptosis; Colony formation; Migration and invasion; miRNA expression; Target-gene pathways

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 study mapped how apigenin changes microRNA networks in esophageal squamous cancer cells.

Key findings

Apigenin suppressed proliferation, clonogenic growth, migration and invasion and promoted apoptosis while altering multiple miRNA-mRNA networks.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Cell-line activity is not evidence that oral apigenin prevents or treats esophageal cancer in people.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology