Decursin Suppresses Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression via Orchestrated Cell Cycle Deceleration, Apoptotic Activation, and Oncoprotein Degradation

Abstract

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a lethal malignancy with limited therapeutic options. This study investigated the antitumor efficacy and mechanisms of decursin, a natural pyranocoumarin derivative, against ESCC. In vitro analyses demonstrated that decursin selectively inhibited ESCC cell viability (IC50: 14.62 ± 0.61–26.20 ± 2.11 μM across TE-1, KYSE-30, and KYSE-150 cell lines) without affecting normal esophageal epithelial cells (Het-1A). Decursin (10 μM) suppressed colony formation, impaired wound healing (p < 0.001 at 48 h), and reduced Transwell migration/invasion in KYSE-150 cells. Subcutaneous xenograft models revealed significant tumor growth inhibition (p < 0.01) with decursin treatment (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), accompanied by no systemic toxicity. Mechanistically, decursin induced G0/G1 cell cycle deceleration (p < 0.01) and apoptosis through ubiquitin–proteasome-mediated degradation of oncoproteins TP63 and SOX2. Time- and dose-dependent protein suppression was reversed by proteasome inhibitor MG-132, but unaffected by lysosomal inhibition. These findings establish decursin as a promising therapeutic agent for ESCC, functioning via proteasomal degradation of key oncogenic drivers, and provide a rationale for decursin’s further development as a targeted monotherapy or chemosensitizer in multimodal regimens.