Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34006215›Full record

ArticleCellular & molecular biology letters2021

Worenine reverses the Warburg effect and inhibits colon cancer cell growth by negatively regulating HIF-1α.

Lijiang Ji, Weixing Shen, Feng Zhang, Jie Qian, Jie Jiang, Liping Weng, Jiani Tan, Liu Li, Yugen Chen, Haibo Cheng and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readLetter
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular & molecular biology letters, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
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  9. Promising Role of PKM2 in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer.Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry · 2026
    Review
  10. Crosstalk between mFrontiers in immunology · 2026
    Review
  11. Article
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  16. Review
  17. Phosphofructokinase-1 in Cancer: A Promising Target for Diagnosis and Therapy.Recent patents on anti-cancer drug discovery · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lijiang Ji *Changshu TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu, 215500, China.
Weixing Shen *Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Feng ZhangCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Jie QianCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Jie JiangChangshu TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu, 215500, China.
Liping WengChangshu TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu, 215500, China.
Jiani TanCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Liu LiCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Yugen ChenCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
Haibo ChengCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China. hbcheng_njucm@163.com.
Dongdong SunCollaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China. sundd@njucm.edu.cn.
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine · CNJiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81930117National Natural Science Foundation of China 81973523National Natural Science Foundation of China 82074318
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSome natural compounds inhibit cancer cell growth in various cancer cell lines with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. Here, we explore the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of worenine (isolated from Coptis chinensis) against colorectal cancer.

methodsThe effects of worenine on colorectal cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and cell cycle distribution were measured. Glycolysis was investigated by examining glucose uptake and consumption, lactate production, and the activities and expressions of glycolysis enzymes (PFK-L, HK2 and PKM2). HIF-1α was knocked down and stimulated in vitro to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

resultsWorenine somewhat altered the glucose metabolism and glycolysis (Warburg effect) of cancer cells. Its anti-cancer effects and capability to reverse the Warburg effect were similar to those of HIF-1α siRNA and weakened by deferoxamine (an HIF-1α agonist).

conclusionIt is suggested that worenine targets HIF-1α to inhibit colorectal cancer cell growth, proliferation, cell cycle progression and the Warburg effect.

Indexed as

BenzodioxolesCell Cycle CheckpointsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationColonic NeoplasmsGlycolysisHumansHypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha SubunitProteolysisQuinolizinesRNA InterferenceRNA, Small InterferingBenzodioxolesHypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha SubunitQuinolizinesRNA, Small InterferingworenineColon cancerGlycolysisHIF-1αWarburg effectWorenine

Identifiers

PMID34006215
PMCPMC8130299
OpenAlexW3161344593

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.