Apigenin promotes cell death in NCI-H23 cells by upregulation of PTEN: potential involvement of the binding of apigenin with WWP2 protein.

The tumour suppressor protein PTEN is often down-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer. A major protein promoting the lowering of the PTEN protein is WWP2. Polyphenols have been shown to promote the expression of tumour suppressor genes like PTEN.