Tannic Acid Inhibits Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Stemness by Inducing G ₀/G ₁ Cell Cycle Arrest and Intrinsic Apoptosis

Background/aim: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one among the most common cancers worldwide. Recently, dietary phytochemicals have been reported as an attractive approach to improve the symptoms of NSCLC patients. Tannic acid is a natural polyphenol, which is known to have anticancer effects on in vitro models of breast, gingival and colon cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with the actions of tannic acid on A549 human lung cancer cells have not been elucidated.

Materials and methods: In this study, we analyzed the effect of tannic acid on A549 cells and their underlying mechanisms using western blotting, flow cytometry, invasion assay and tumorsphere formation assay.

Results: Tannic acid treatment suppressed the viability of A549 cells through cell cycle arrest and induction of the intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. In addition, the various malignant phenotypes of A549 cells including invasion, migration, and stemness were inhibited by tannic acid treatment.

Conclusion: Tannic acid could be used as an effective inhibitor of lung cancer progression.

Keywords: G0/G1 cell cycle arrest; Lung cancer; intrinsic apoptosis; tannic acid.