Targeting AKT/mTOR and Bcl-2 for Autophagic and Apoptosis Cell Death in Lung Cancer: Novel Activity of a Polyphenol Compound.

Autophagic cell death (ACD) is an alternative death mechanism in resistant malignant cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrated how polyphenol stilbene compound PE5 exhibits potent ACD-promoting activity in lung cancer cells that may offer an opportunity for novel cancer treatment. Cell death caused by PE5 was found to be concomitant with dramatic autophagy induction, as indicated by acidic vesicle staining, autophagosome, and the LC3 conversion.