Ursolic Acid in Cancer Therapy: Mechanistic Insights into Apoptosis, Angiogenesis, Cell Cycle Arrest, and Metastasis.

INTRODUCTION/

OBJECTIVE

Ursolic acid, a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been extensively investigated in preclinical studies for its anticancer effects. Although numerous studies have described its interaction with individual molecular targets, how these pathways function together in a coordinated manner is still not fully understood. This review examines available mechanistic studies to better understand how UA interacts with multiple cancer-related pathways.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies were selected based on their relevance to underlying mechanisms and overall study quality.

RESULTS

UA has been reported to affect several cancer-related processes, including apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cell cycle regulation. It can activate both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, inhibit angiogenesis through modulation of VEGF and HIF-1α, and interfere with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) by regulating MMP-2 and MMP-9. In addition, UA influences key signaling pathways such as PI3K/ Akt/mTOR, MAPK/ERK, STAT3, and NF-κB.

DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that UA may act through multiple mechanisms, although their clinical relevance remains unclear.

CONCLUSION

UA modulates multiple interconnected oncogenic pathways involved in apoptosis, angiogenesis, cell-cycle regulation, and metastasis. However, current evidence remains predominantly preclinical, and further pharmacokinetic optimization together with well-designed clinical studies is required before its therapeutic potential can be translated into clinical practice.