Cordycepin induces autophagy-mediated c-FLIPL degradation and leads to apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

New flavonoid and their anti-A549 cell activity from the bi-directional solid fermentation products of Astragalus membranaceus and Cordyceps kyushuensis

Astragalus membranaceus and Cordyceps kyushuensis were used to obtain Astragalus membranaceus-Cordyceps kyushuensis bi-directional solid fermentation products using the bi-directional solid fermentation technique. The fermentation products were isolated and purified to obtain 20 individual compounds, of which compound 1 was a novel isoflavane, and compounds 2, 3, and 4 were novel isoflavones, along with 16 known compounds. In vitro experiments demonstrated that compounds 4, 5, 8, 10, and 20 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against A549 lung cancer cells. Specifically, the IC50 value of the novel compound 4 was 53.4 μM, while the IC50 value of cordycepin was 9.0 μM.

Cordycepin Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Doxorubicin in Treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with high mortality and poor prognosis. Meanwhile, doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent for triple-negative breast cancer, has poor sensitivity. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of cordycepin on doxorubicin sensitivity and efficacy in the TNBC xenograft model and explore the relevant molecular pathways. The combination of the drugs in nude mice carrying MDA-MB-231 xenografts significantly reduced the volume, size, and weight of xenografts and improved the tumor inhibition rate. The drug combination was significantly more effective than cordycepin or doxorubicin alone, reflecting the fact that cordycepin enhanced the anti-tumor effects of doxorubicin in MDA-MB-231 xenografts. At the same time, the monitoring of several biological parameters failed to detect any obvious side effects associated with this treatment. After predicting the importance of the TNF pathway in inhibiting tumor growth using network pharmacology methods, we verified the expression of TNF pathway targets via immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR. Furthermore, a TNF-α inhibitor was able to abrogate the beneficial effects of cordycepin and doxorubicin treatment in MDA-MB-231 cells. This clearly indicates the role of TNF-α, or related molecules, in mediating the therapeutic benefits of the combined treatment in animals carrying TNBC xenografts. The observations reported here may present a new direction for the clinical treatment of TNBC.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-a versatile player in apoptosis and autophagy

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway that is involved in cell development, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and autophagy. Among these processes, apoptosis and autophagy occur physiologically during host defense and the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis. Mounting evidence suggests that the crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin-regulated apoptosis and autophagy has broad functional significance in various diseases. Herein, we summarize the recent studies in understanding the role of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in apoptosis and autophagy, and draw the following conclusions: a) For apoptosis, the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin is generally positive. However, a small amount of evidence indicates the presence of a negatively regulated relationship between Wnt/β-catenin and apoptosis; b) Wnt/β-catenin influences the occurrence and development of autophagy by regulating autophagy-related factors, and these factors in turn affect Wnt/β-catenin pathway; c) Wnt/β-catenin always balances the molecular damage caused by the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis in a compensatory manner. Understanding the specific role of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway during different stages of autophagy and apoptosis may provide new insights into the progression of related diseases regulated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Cordycepin and kinase inhibition in cancer

Cordycepin, a nucleoside from Cordyceps mushrooms, has many beneficial properties for health, including anticancer activities. In cancer cells, cordycepin targets various signaling molecules. Here, we review the possible anticancer mechanisms of cordycepin involving the targeting of kinases. Abnormal kinase expression is involved in cancer development and progression through different molecular mechanisms, including phosphorylation, amplification, genetic mutations, and epigenetic regulation. Research suggests that kinases, such as the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), AMP kinase (AMPK), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathways, can be targeted by cordycepin and disrupting their activity. Given that kinase inhibitors can have crucial roles in cancer treatment, targeting kinases might be one of the molecular mechanisms involved in the anticancer potential of cordycepin.

Apoptotic and Anti-metastatic Effects of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. in a Hamster Model of Cholangiocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly aggressive tumor with a greater risk of distant metastasis. The promising anti-CCA activity and safety profile of Atractylodes lancea (AL) have previously been reported in a series of in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. The present study investigated the effect of AL extract on apoptosis and metastasis signaling pathways in the Opisthorchis viverrini/dimethylnitrosamine (OV/DMN)-induced CCA hamster model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hamster liver tissues were obtained from the four groups (n = 5 per group), i.e., (i) 5-FU treated CCA (40 µg/mL); (ii) CCA; (iii) AL-treated CCA (5,000 mg/kg), and (iv) normal hamsters. Total RNA was isolated, and the expression levels of apoptosis-related and metastasis-related genes were determined by qRT-PCR analysis.

RESULTS

The expression levels of p16, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Apaf-1, p53 and Eef1a1 were downregulated, while that of the remaining genes were upregulated in CCA hamsters compared with normal hamsters. AL treatment increased the expression of p16, caspase-9, caspase-3, Apaf-1, p53 and E-cadherin and decreased the expression of cyclin D1, cdk4, Bax, Akt/PKB, Bcl-2, Mfge-8, Lass4, S100A6, TGF-β, Smad-2, Smad-3, Smad-4, MMP-9, and N-cadherin. The expression of Eef1a1 was unchanged.

CONCLUSION

The anti-CCA activity of AL in OV/DMN-induced CCA hamsters could be due to the induction of cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and activation of the apoptosis pathway, resulting in cancer cell death. The activation of the apoptosis pathway mainly involved the intrinsic pathway (activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 through p53 and Mfge-8 modulation and downregulation of anti-apoptotic genes Akt and Bcl-2). In addition, AL could also inhibit the canonical TGF-β signaling pathway, MMP-9 and N-cadherin to suppress tumor metastasis.

Acute and sub-chronic toxicological evaluation of the herbal product HAD-B1 in Beagle dogs

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HAD-B1 is used in Korean medicine to treat lung cancer patients.

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The acute and Sub-chronic toxicity of HAD-B1 was evaluated in Beagle dogs.

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No toxicologically significant effects were found.

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The NOAEL was ≥2000 mg/kg/day for both genders, with no target organ effect.

HAD-B1 is a herbal formula originated from Korean Traditional Medicine that used to treat lung cancer patients. Herein we assessed acute and sub-chronic toxicity of HAD-B1 in beagle dogs. Acute study, 4 weeks dose rate finding (DRF) study and sub chronic toxicity study for 13 weeks were done by oral administration at doses of 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg. Neither oral acute toxicity study nor DRF study showed any significant clinical signs, death, or weight changes. Based on that, a sub-chronic study for 13-weeks was performed. As a result, HAD-B1 caused a decrease of mean daily feed consumption in females, infiltration of intestinal inflammatory cells in both sexes, a significant decrease in total cholesterol (TCHO) in females, Kupffer cell hypertrophy/hyperplasia in the liver as well as dilation of the sinusoid. However, there were no significant toxic effects in the treated group compared to the control group. Therefore, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of the HAD-B1 is at least 2000 mg/kg/day when administrated orally for 13 consecutive weeks. These results demonstrate that HAD-B1 consumption is relatively non-toxic and safe for clinical usage.

A Systematic Review of the Biological Effects of Cordycepin

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation, inflammation, signal transduction and animal models. A total of 1204 publications on cordycepin were found by the cut-off date of 1 February 2021. After application of the exclusion criteria, 791 papers remained. These were read and data on the chosen subjects were extracted. We found 192 papers on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation and calculated a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 135 µM. Cordycepin consistently repressed cell migration (26 papers) and cellular inflammation (53 papers). Evaluation of 76 papers on signal transduction indicated consistently reduced PI3K/mTOR/AKT and ERK signalling and activation of AMPK. In contrast, the effects of cordycepin on the p38 and Jun kinases were variable, as were the effects on cell cycle arrest (53 papers), suggesting these are cell-specific responses. The examination of 150 animal studies indicated that purified cordycepin has many potential therapeutic effects, including the reduction of tumour growth (37 papers), repression of pain and inflammation (9 papers), protecting brain function (11 papers), improvement of respiratory and cardiac conditions (8 and 19 papers) and amelioration of metabolic disorders (8 papers). Nearly all these data are consistent with cordycepin mediating its therapeutic effects through activating AMPK, inhibiting PI3K/mTOR/AKT and repressing the inflammatory response. We conclude that cordycepin has excellent potential as a lead for drug development, especially for age-related diseases. In addition, we discuss the remaining issues around the mechanism of action, toxicity and biodistribution of cordycepin.

The Role of Autophagy in Anti-Cancer and Health Promoting Effects of Cordycepin

Cordycepin is an adenosine derivative isolated from Cordyceps sinensis, which has been used as an herbal complementary and alternative medicine with various biological activities. The general anti-cancer mechanisms of cordycepin are regulated by the adenosine A3 receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, leading to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Notably, cordycepin also induces autophagy to trigger cell death, inhibits tumor metastasis, and modulates the immune system. Since the dysregulation of autophagy is associated with cancers and neuron, immune, and kidney diseases, cordycepin is considered an alternative treatment because of the involvement of cordycepin in autophagic signaling. However, the profound mechanism of autophagy induction by cordycepin has never been reviewed in detail. Therefore, in this article, we reviewed the anti-cancer and health-promoting effects of cordycepin in the neurons, kidneys, and the immune system through diverse mechanisms, including autophagy induction. We also suggest that formulation changes for cordycepin could enhance its bioactivity and bioavailability and lower its toxicity for future applications. A comprehensive understanding of the autophagy mechanism would provide novel mechanistic insight into the anti-cancer and health-promoting effects of cordycepin.

Natural cordycepin induces apoptosis and suppresses metastasis in breast cancer cells by inhibiting the Hedgehog pathway

In the study, we investigated the role of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway in cordycepin's effects on human breast cancer cells, with respect to cell growth, apoptosis and metastasis. We found cordycepin to have low toxicity but significant anticancer effects. Cordycepin-induced apoptosis led to increased PUMA, CYTO-C, FAS, DR4/5, and cleaved caspase-3; and decreased BCL-2, XIAP and PDGFR-α. Cordycepin inhibited metastasis, which was associated with up-regulated E-cadherin, and down-regulated N-cadherin, SNAIL, SLUG and ZEB1. Cordycepin also inhibited expression of Hh pathway components and GLI transcriptional activity. Inversely, knockout of GLI blocked cordycepin-mediated effects on the apoptotic, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Notch pathways, which indicates that GLI is crucial for cordycepin's effects against breast cancer. Inhibition of GLI enhanced cordycepin's effect on breast cancer cell growth. To our knowledge, this is the first study of cordycepin's effect on the Hh pathway in breast cancer, and provides preliminary data for the in vivo study, and possible therapeutic use, of cordycepin.

Cordycepin in Anticancer Research: Molecular Mechanism of Therapeutic Effects

Background:

Cordycepin is a nucleotide analogue from Cordyceps mushrooms, which occupies a notable place in traditional medicine.

Objective:

In this review article, we have discussed the recent findings on the molecular aspects of cordycepin interactions with its recognized cellular targets, and possible mechanisms of its anticancer activity.

Methods:

We have explored databases like pubmed, google scholar, scopus and web of science for the update information on cordycepin and mechanisms of its anticancer activity, and reviewed in this study.

Results:

Cordycepin has been widely recognized for its therapeutic potential against many types of cancers by various mechanisms. More specifically, cordycepin can induce apoptosis, resist cell cycle and cause DNA damage in cancer cells, and thus kill or control cancer cell growth. Also cordycepin can induce autophagy and modulate immune system. Furthermore, cordycepin also inhibits tumor metastasis. Although many success stories of cordycepin in anticancer research in vitro and in animal model, and there is no successful clinical trial yet.

Conclusion:

Ongoing research studies have reported highly potential anticancer activities of cordycepin with numerous molecular mechanisms. The in vitro and in vivo success of cordycepin in anticancer research might influence the clinical trials of cordycepin, and this molecule might be used for development of future cancer drug.

Inhibitory Effects of HangAmDan-B1 (HAD-B1) Combined With Afatinib on H1975 Lung Cancer Cell-Bearing Mice

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive non–small cell lung cancer is cared for mainly by target therapeutics in the clinical treatment at present. We investigated the antitumor effect of HangAmDan-B1 (HAD-B1) combined with afatinib on H1975 (L858R/T790M double mutation) lung cancer cells. The combined treatment of HAD-B1 with afatinib inhibited the proliferation of H1975 cells in a dose-dependent manner compared with the treatment of afatinib or HAD-B1 alone. The combined treatment group significantly induced early apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of the cells compared with afatinib- or HAD-B1-treated control group. Profile analysis of cell cycle proteins in H1975 cells treated with the combination of HAD-B1 and afatinib using InnoPharmaScreen antibody microarray showed downregulation of pERK1/2 and upregulation of p16 in the cells. In vivo tumor growth assay in xenograft animal model of human H1975 lung cancer cells revealed that the mean tumor volume in the group treated with the combination of HAD-B1 and afatinib showed a significant reduction compared with the control groups.

Cordycepin inhibits human ovarian cancer by inducing autophagy and apoptosis through Dickkopf-related protein 1/β-catenin signaling

Cordycepin, the major active component from Cordyceps militaris, has been reported to significantly inhibit some types of cancer; however, its effects on ovarian cancer are still not well understood. In this study, we treated human ovarian cancer cells with different doses of cordycepin and found that it dose-dependently reduced ovarian cancer cell viability, based on Cell counting kit-8 reagent. Immunoblotting showed that cordycepin increased Dickkopf-related protein 1 (Dkk1) levels and inhibited β-catenin signaling. Atg7 knockdown in ovarian cancer cells significantly inhibited cordycepin-induced apoptosis, whereas β-catenin overexpression abolished the effects of cordycepin on cell death and proliferation. Furthermore, we found that Dkk1 overexpression by transfection downregulated the expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1. siRNA-mediated Dkk1 silencing downregulated the expression of Atg8, beclin, and LC3 and promoted β-catenin translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. These results suggest that cordycepin inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth, possibly through coordinated autophagy and Dkk1/β-catenin signaling. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the treatment of ovarian cancer using cordycepin.

Bioactive Ingredients in Chinese Herbal Medicines That Target Non-coding RNAs: Promising New Choices for Disease Treatment

Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are widely used in China and have long been a powerful method to treat diseases in Chinese people. Bioactive ingredients are the main components extracted from herbs that have therapeutic properties. Since artemisinin was discovered to inhibit malaria by Nobel laureate Youyou Tu, extracts from natural plants, particularly bioactive ingredients, have aroused increasing attention among medical researchers. The bioactive ingredients of some CHMs have been found to target various non-coding RNA molecules (ncRNAs), especially miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, which have emerged as new treatment targets in numerous diseases. Here we review the evidence that, by regulating the expression of ncRNAs, these ingredients exert protective effects, including pro-apoptosis, anti-proliferation and anti-migration, anti-inflammation, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-infection, anti-senescence, and suppression of structural remodeling. Consequently, they have potential as treatment agents in diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, nervous system disease, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, infectious diseases, and senescence-related diseases. Although research has been relatively limited and inadequate to date, the promising choices and new alternatives offered by bioactive ingredients for the treatment of the above diseases warrant serious investigation.

Aqueous Extracts of Cordyceps kyushuensis Kob Induce Apoptosis to Exert Anticancer Activity

Cancer has become the leading cause of mortality since 2010 in China. Despite the remarkable advances in cancer therapy, a low survival rate is still a burden to the society. The antineoplastic activity of aqueous extracts of Cordyceps kyushuensis Kob (AECK) was measured in this study. Results showed that AECK can significantly inhibit the proliferation and viability of U937 and K562 when treated with different concentrations of AECK, and the IC50 values of U937 and K562 were 31.23 μg/ml and 62.5 μg/ml, respectively. Hoechst 33258 staining showed that AECK could cause cell shrinkage, chromatin, condensation, and cytoplasmic blebbing, and DNA ladder experiment revealed the evident feature of DNA fragmentation which showed that AECK could induce cell apoptosis. Moreover, AECK gave rise to intrinsic apoptosis through increasing the amount of Ca2+ and downregulating the expression of Bcl-2. Meanwhile, the level of Fas death receptor was elevated which indicated that AECK could lead to exogenous apoptosis in U937. The expressions of oncogene c-Myc and c-Fos were suppressed which manifested that AECK could negatively regulate the growth, proliferation, and tumorigenesis of U937 cells. This research presented the primary antitumor activity of AECK which would contribute to the widely use of Cordyceps kyushuensis Kob as a functional food and medicine.

Anti-tumor and anti-metastatic roles of cordycepin, one bioactive compound of Cordyceps militaris

Public interest in complementary and alternative medicine has been increased worldwide, due to its wide applications in cancer prevention and treatment. Cordycepin is one of the most common and crucial types of complementary and alternative medicine. Cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine), a derivative of adenosine, was first isolated from medicine drug Cordyceps militaris. Cordycepin has been widely used as one compound for antitumor, which has been found to exert antiangiogenic, anti-metastatic, and antiproliferative effects, as well as inducing apoptosis. However, the mechanism of its anti-tumor activity is not well known. This review will clarify anti-tumor mechanisms of Cordycepin, which regulate signaling pathways related with tumor growth and metastasis. Cordycepin inhibit tumor growth via upregulating tumor apoptosis, inducing cell cycle arrest and targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs). Cordycepin regulates tumor microenvironment via suppressing tumor metastasis-related pathways. Thus, Cordycepins may be one of important supplement or substitute medicine drug for cancer treatment.

[Effect of cordycepin on apoptosis and autophagy of tongue cancer cells in vitro and the molecular mechanism]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of cordycepin on cell cycle, apoptosis and autophagy of human tongue cancer TCA-8113 cells and explore the mechanism of cordycepin for inhibiting the occurrence of tongue cancer.

METHODS

CCK-8 method was used to assess the inhibitory effect of cordycepin on TCA-8113 cell proliferation in vitro. The cell cycle and cell apoptosis of TCA-8113 cells treated with different concentrations of cordycepin were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expressions of apoptosis-related genes caspase-3, caspase-9, Bcl-2, and Bax were examined using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of autophagy-related proteins LC-3β, P62, p-mTOR, and AMPK.

RESULTS

CCK-8 assay showed that cordycepin significantly inhibited the proliferation of TCA-8113 cells in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ of 3.548 mg/mL at 24 h and an IC₅₀ of 1.185 mg/mL at 48 h. Flow cytometric analysis showed that cordycepin caused cell cycle arrest at S phase and dose-dependently increased the apoptotic rate of TCA-8113 cells. Treatment of the cells with cordycepin enhanced the expressions of Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 at both the mRNA and protein levels and inhibited the expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that cordycepin promoted the expression of LC-3β and AMPK and inhibited the expression of P62 and p-mTOR.

CONCLUSION

Cordycepin inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of HCT-116 cells through the mitochondrial pathway and induces autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway.

Chloroquine augments TRAIL-induced apoptosis and induces G2/M phase arrest in human pancreatic cancer cells

Autophagy contributes to the treatment-resistance of many types of cancers, and chloroquine (CQ) inhibits autophagy. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) kills cancer cells but is minimally cytotoxic to normal cells. However, because the therapeutic efficacy of TRAIL is limited, it is necessary to augment TRAIL-induced anti-tumor effects. In this study, we explored the anti-tumor effects of a combination of CQ and TRAIL on two human pancreatic cancer cell lines: TRAIL-sensitive MiaPaCa-2 cells and Panc-1 cells that are less sensitive to TRAIL. Although both CQ and TRAIL reduced cancer cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, the combination acted synergistically. CQ increased the expression level of type-II LC3B without decreasing the expression of p62, an autophagic substrate, thus indicating inhibition of autophagy. CQ did not increase the levels of death receptors on cancer cells but reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins. A combination of CQ and TRAIL significantly increased cancer cell apoptosis. CQ induced cell-cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Also, CQ increased the p21 level but reduced that of cyclin B1. A combination of CQ and TRAIL reduced the colony-forming abilities of cancer cells to extents greater than either material alone. In xenograft models, combination CQ and TRAIL therapy significantly suppressed the growth of subcutaneously established MiaPaCa-2 and Panc-1 cells, compared with the untreated or monotherapy groups. Together, the results indicate that CQ in combination with TRAIL may be useful to treat human pancreatic cancer.

Phytochemicals as potent modulators of autophagy for cancer therapy

The dysregulation of autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of a broad range of diseases, and accordingly universal research efforts have focused on exploring novel compounds with autophagy-modulating properties. While a number of synthetic autophagy modulators have been identified as promising cancer therapy candidates, autophagy-modulating phytochemicals have also attracted attention as potential treatments with minimal side effects. In this review, we firstly highlight the importance of autophagy and its relevance in the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. Subsequently, we present the data on common phytochemicals and their mechanism of action as autophagy modulators. Finally, we discuss the challenges associated with harnessing the autophagic potential of phytochemicals for cancer therapy.

Cytotoxic activities and effects of atractylodin and β-eudesmol on the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis on cholangiocarcinoma cell line

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the cancer of bile duct with high mortality rate particularly in Thailand. The clinical efficacy of the standard chemotherapeutics remains unsatisfactory, and therefore, discovery and development of the new alternative drugs with high efficacy and tolerability is needed. The aim of the study was to investigate cytotoxic activity as well as the underlying mechanisms through which atractylodin and β-eudesmol exert their activities on CCA cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and cell apoptosis. Effects of the compounds on cell cytotoxicity, cell cycle arrest, and cell apoptosis were analyzed using MTT assay, BD Cycletest™ Plus DNA kit, and FITC Annexin V Apoptosis Detection Kit I, respectively. The cytotoxic activities of both compounds were concentration- and time-dependent. The IC₅₀ [mean (SD)] of atractylodin and β-eudesmol were 41.66 (2.51) and 39.33 (1.15) μg/ml respectively. Both promoted cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, and induced cell apoptosis through activation of caspase-3/7. The highest activity was observed at 48 h of exposure. Results suggest that these mechanisms are at least in part, explain the cell cytotoxic and anti-CCA activity of atractylodin and β-eudesmol shown in vitro and in vivo models.

Cordycepin induces apoptotic cell death of human brain cancer through the modulation of autophagy

Brain cancer, in particular neuroblastoma and glioblastoma, is a global challenge to human health. Cordycepin, extracted from Cordyceps ssp., has been revealed as a strong anticancer agent through several ways; however, the mechanism, by which cordycepin counteracts brain cancers, is still poorly understood. In this study, the underlying mechanisms of cordycepin against human brain cancer cells were explored. SH-SY5Y and U251 cells were being a model to represent human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma, respectively. Here, it was found that cordycepin inhibited cell growth, and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in both SH-SY5Y and U-251 cell lines. The expression of pro-apoptotic genes, including P53, BAX, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9, were upregulated, whereas the expression of anti-apoptotic gene, BCL-2, was suppressed. Besides, cordycepin induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) along with the suppression of antioxidant genes, including GPX, SOD, and Catalase. Importantly, cordycepin was shown to involve in the activation of autophagy, which was evidenced by the increment of LC3I/II. The combination of cordycepin with chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, further inhibited the growth, and enhanced the death of brain cancer cells. Altogether, this finding suggested that cordycepin induced apoptosis of human brain cancer cells through mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway and the modulation of autophagy. Therefore, cordycepin could be a promising candidate for the development of anticancer drugs targeting human brain cancers.