4-acetylantroquinonol B

4-acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB) is a natural small molecule ubiquinone derivative isolated mainly from the mycelia of the medicinal mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea (also known as Antrodia camphorata). It shares a similar chemical backbone with antroquinonol and coenzyme Q and acts as a multi-targeted anticancer agent. 4-AAQB exhibits antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-angiogenic, and anti-metastatic effects across various cancer types—such as colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer—by modulating several key oncogenic and cell survival pathways. Documented mechanisms include inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin, JAK-STAT, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, ERK, and VEGF signaling cascades; downregulation of cancer stem cell phenotype; increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation; cell cycle arrest; and inhibition of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1)-mediated chemoresistance. It is proposed both as a monotherapy and a chemosensitizer in combination with standard chemotherapies, with multiple in vitro and in vivo studies supporting its tumor-suppressive and low-toxicity profile[1][3][5][6][8].

Other names

4-acetylantroquinonol B4-acetyl antroquinonol B