TY - JOUR AB - Cordycepin, a 3-deoxyadenosine, is the predominant functional component of the fungus Cordyceps militaris, a traditional Chinese medicine. Previous studies investigating the inhibition of cancer cells by cordycepin identified that it not only promotes cell apoptosis, but also controls cell proliferation. Furthermore, studies have elucidated the molecular mechanisms of inhibiting cell proliferation by cordycepin binding the A3 adenosine receptor, activating G protein, inhibiting cAMP formation, decreasing glycogen synthase kinase‑3β/β‑catenin activation and suppressing cyclin D1 and c‑myc expression. The most significant signaling pathway in which cell apoptosis is induced by cordycepin is the caspase pathway. Cordycepin induces cell apoptosis via binding the DR3 receptor and consequently activating caspase‑8/‑3. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that cordycepin may be used as a natural medicine, as it can not only control tumor cell proliferation, but also induce cancer cell apoptosis. AD - School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, P.R. China Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of Shandong High School, Shandong Wanjie Medical College, Zibo, Shandong 255213, P.R. China AU - Tian,Xuewen AU - Li,Yujian AU - Shen,Yinyu AU - Li,Qiaoqiao AU - Wang,Qinglu AU - Feng,Lianshi DA - 2015/08/01 DO - 10.3892/ol.2015.3273 EP - 599 IS - 2 JO - Oncol Lett KW - cordycepin cancer cells apoptosis cell proliferation caspase signal pathway PY - 2015 SN - 1792-1074 1792-1082 SP - 595 ST - Apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells induced by cordycepin (Review) T2 - Oncology Letters TI - Apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells induced by cordycepin (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2015.3273 VL - 10 ER -