Anticancer agent xanthohumol inhibits IL-2 induced signaling pathways involved in T cell proliferation

Xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated chalcone present in hops exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity. In the present study we show that XN inhibits the proliferation of mouse lymphoma cells and IL-2 induced proliferation and cell cycle progression in mouse splenic T cells. The suppression of T cell proliferation by XN was due to the inhibition of IL-2 induced Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (Jak/STAT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) signaling pathways. XN also inhibited proliferation-related cellular proteins such as c-Myc, c-Fos and NF-κB and cyclin D1. Thus, understanding of IL-2 induced cell signaling pathways in normal T cells, which are constitutively turned on in T cell lymphomas may facilitate development of XN for the treatment of hematologic cancers.