Liquiritigenin inhibits the migration, invasion, and EMT of prostate cancer through activating ER stress

Liquiritigenin (LQ) is a monomeric compound found in licorice, a leguminous plant, and has been reported to exhibit antitumor effects in various lines of cancer cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which LQ exerts its antitumor effects remain largely unknown. In this study, the effects of LQ on the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of prostate cancer (PCa) cells were investigated. We found that LQ effectively inhibited the migration and invasion of PCa cells in vitro, and this effect was further confirmed in xenograft lung metastasis models. In addition, LQ was found to activate endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) in PCa cells. Further studies found that LQ upregulated the expression of inositol-requiring enzyme type 1α (IRE1). When IRE1 was knocked down, we observed a weakened inhibitory effect of LQ treatment on the migration and invasion of PCa cells. This observation suggests that LQ may inhibit the migration, invasion and EMT of PCa cells through activating the IRE1 branch of ER stress. In conclusion, our research may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for PCa.