Luteolin attenuates cancer cell stemness in PTX-resistant oesophageal cancer cells through mediating SOX2 protein stability

Cancer drug resistance is a formidable obstacle that enhances cancer stem-like cell properties, tumour metastasis and relapse. Luteolin (Lut) is a natural flavonoid with strong antitumor effects. However, the underlying mechanism(s) by which Lut protects against paclitaxel-resistant (PTX-resistant) cancer cell remains unknown. Herein, we found that Lut significantly attenuated the stem-like properties of PTX-resistant cancer cells by downregulating the expression of SOX2 protein. Additionally, further study showed that Lut could inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway to decrease the phosphorylation level of AKT(S473) and UBR5 expression, which is an ubiquitin E3 ligase that promotes SOX2 degradation. In addition, Lut also inhibited PTX-resistant cancer cell migration and invasion by blocking epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, Lut inhibited the tumorigenic ability of oesophageal PTX-resistant cancer cells and showed no obvious toxicity in vivo. Thus, Lut has potential as a promising agent for drug-resistant oesophageal cancer therapy.