Artesunate Activates the Intrinsic Apoptosis of HCT116 Cells through the Suppression of Fatty Acid Synthesis and the NF-κB Pathway

Advances in research on autophagy mechanisms in resistance to endometrial cancer treatment

Administering medication is a crucial strategy in improving the prognosis for advanced endometrial cancer. However, the rise of drug resistance often leads to the resurgence of cancer or less-than-ideal treatment outcomes. Prior studies have shown that autophagy plays a dual role in the development and progression of endometrial cancer, closely associated with drug resistance. As a result, concentrating on autophagy and its combination with medical treatments might be a novel approach to improve the prognosis for endometrial cancer. This study explores the impact of autophagy on drug resistance in endometrial cancer, investigates its core mechanisms, and scrutinizes relevant treatments aimed at autophagy, aiming to illuminate the issue of treatment resistance in advanced endometrial cancer.

Dopamine / Artesunate loaded polyhydroxybutyrate-g-cellulose- magnetite zinc oxide core shell nanocomposites: Synergistic antimicrobial and anticancer efficacy

In this study, polyhydroxybutyrate-g-cellulose - Fe3O4/ZnO (PHB-g-cell- Fe3O4/ZnO) nanocomposites (NCs) was synthesized and used as a delivery system for Dopamine (DO) /Artesunate (ART) drugs. Different types of cells (Ccell, Scell, Pcell) grafted with PHB were designed and mixed with different contents of Fe3O4/ZnO. Physical and chemical features of PHB-g-cell-Fe3O4/ZnO NCs were detected by FTIR, XRD, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. ART/DO drugs were loaded into PHB-g-cell- Fe3O4/ZnO NCs by single emulsion technique. The rate of drugs release was studied at different pHs (5.4, 7.4). Owing to the overlap between the absorption bands of both drugs, differential pulse adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (DP-AdCSV) was used for the estimation of ART. To study the mechanism of ART and DO release, zero-order, first order, Hixon Crowell, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models were applied to the experiment results. The results showed that Ic50 of ART @PHB-g-Ccell-10% DO@ Fe3O4/ZnO, ART @PHB-g-Pcell-10% DO@ Fe3O4/ZnO and ART @PHB-g-Scell-10% DO@ Fe3O4/ZnO were 21.22, 12.3, and 18.11 μg/mL, respectively. The results revealed that ART @PHB-g-Pcell-10% DO@ Fe3O4/ZnO was more effective against HCT-116 than the carriers loaded by a single drug. The antimicrobial efficacy of the nano-loaded drugs was considerably improved compared with free drugs.

Facilitated Drug Repurposing with Artemisinin-Derived PROTACs: Unveiling PCLAF as a Therapeutic Target

Artemisinin, a prominent anti-malaria drug, is being investigated for its potential as a repurposed cancer treatment. However, its effectiveness in tumor cell lines remains limited, and its mechanism of action is unclear. To make more progress, the PROteolysis-TArgeting chimera (PROTAC) technique has been applied to design and synthesize novel artemisinin derivatives in this study. Among them, AD4, the most potent compound, exhibited an IC50 value of 50.6 nM in RS4;11 cells, over 12-fold better than that of its parent compound, SM1044. This was supported by prolonged survival of RS4;11-transplanted NOD/SCID mice. Meanwhile, AD4 effectively degraded PCLAF in RS4;11 cells and thus activated the p21/Rb axis to exert antitumor activity by directly targeting PCLAF. The discovery of AD4 highlights the great potential of using PROTACs to improve the efficacy of natural products, identify therapeutic targets, and facilitate drug repurposing. This opens a promising avenue for transforming other natural products into effective therapies.

A comprehensive overview of Artemisinin and its derivatives as anticancer agents

Artemisinin is the crucial ingredient of artemisia annua, a traditional Chinese medicine used for the therapy of malaria in China for hundreds of years. In recent years, the anticancer properties of artemisinin and its derivatives have also been reported. This review has summarized the research and development of artemisinin and its derivatives as anticancer agents, which included both natural and synthetic monomers as well as their dimers. In addition, it highlights the antitumor effects of artemisinin and its derivatives after site-modification or after transformation to a nano-delivery system. Moreover, we have further explored their potential mechanisms of action and also discussed the clinical trials of ARTs used to treat cancer, which will facilitate in further development of novel anticancer drugs based on the scaffold of artemisinin.

Artesunate Inhibits the Development of Esophageal Cancer by Targeting HK1 to Reduce Glycolysis Levels in Areas With Zinc Deficiency

Esophageal cancer (EC) threatens many lives in China, especially in areas with high incidences of EC. Our previous studies proved that zinc deficiency (ZD) promotes the cell cycle, thus promoting the progression of EC in areas with a high incidence of EC. Artesunate could inhibit the cell cycle, thereby inhibiting the progression of EC. In this study, we first demonstrated the mechanism by which artesunate inhibits EC in vitro and then demonstrated that artesunate could reverse the ZD-promoted progression of EC before EC occurred in vivo. The results showed that artesunate could inhibit the cell cycle, metastasis, and glycolysis of EC cells. Artesunate could target HK1, promote HK1 degradation, and reduce the levels of HIF-1α and PKM2 expression, which are key glycolysis enzymes. The in vivo results showed that ZD could increase the expression of HK1 and increase the incidence of EC. Artesunate reduced the incidence of EC and decreased the level of HK1 expression before EC occurred. Artesunate has an anti-EC effect by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis and has the potential to be a drug that prevents EC in areas with a high risk of EC.

Discovery and repurposing of artemisinin

Malaria is an ancient infectious disease that threatens millions of lives globally even today. The discovery of artemisinin, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has brought in a paradigm shift and been recognized as the “best hope for the treatment of malaria” by World Health Organization. With its high potency and low toxicity, the wide use of artemisinin effectively treats the otherwise drug-resistant parasites and helps many countries, including China, to eventually eradicate malaria. Here, we will first review the initial discovery of artemisinin, an extraordinary journey that was in stark contrast with many drugs in western medicine. We will then discuss how artemisinin and its derivatives could be repurposed to treat cancer, inflammation, immunoregulation-related diseases, and COVID-19. Finally, we will discuss the implications of the “artemisinin story” and how that can better guide the development of TCM today. We believe that artemisinin is just a starting point and TCM will play an even bigger role in healthcare in the 21st century.

Therapeutic Potential of Certain Terpenoids as Anticancer Agents: A Scoping Review

Cancer is a life-threatening disease and is considered to be among the leading causes of death worldwide. Chemoresistance, severe toxicity, relapse and metastasis are the major obstacles in cancer therapy. Therefore, introducing new therapeutic agents for cancer remains a priority to increase the range of effective treatments. Terpenoids, a large group of secondary metabolites, are derived from plant sources and are composed of several isoprene units. The high diversity of terpenoids has drawn attention to their potential anticancer and pharmacological activities. Some terpenoids exhibit an anticancer effect by triggering various stages of cancer progression, for example, suppressing the early stage of tumorigenesis via induction of cell cycle arrest, inhibiting cancer cell differentiation and activating apoptosis. At the late stage of cancer development, certain terpenoids are able to inhibit angiogenesis and metastasis via modulation of different intracellular signaling pathways. Significant progress in the identification of the mechanism of action and signaling pathways through which terpenoids exert their anticancer effects has been highlighted. Hence, in this review, the anticancer activities of twenty-five terpenoids are discussed in detail. In addition, this review provides insights on the current clinical trials and future directions towards the development of certain terpenoids as potential anticancer agents.

Repurposing Artemisinin and its Derivatives as Anticancer Drugs: A Chance or Challenge?

Cancer has become a global health problem, accounting for one out of six deaths. Despite the recent advances in cancer therapy, there is still an ever-growing need for readily accessible new therapies. The process of drug discovery and development is arduous and takes many years, and while it is ongoing, the time for the current lead compounds to reach clinical trial phase is very long. Drug repurposing has recently gained significant attention as it expedites the process of discovering new entities for anticancer therapy. One such potential candidate is the antimalarial drug, artemisinin that has shown anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. In this review, major molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of artemisinin and its derivatives are summarised. Furthermore, major mechanisms of action and some key signaling pathways of this group of compounds have been reviewed to explore potential targets that contribute to the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells. Despite its established profile in malaria treatment, pharmacokinetic properties, anticancer potency, and current formulations that hinder the clinical translation of artemisinin as an anticancer agent, have been discussed. Finally, potential solutions or new strategies are identified to overcome the bottlenecks in repurposing artemisinin-type compounds as anticancer drugs.

Artemisinins in Combating Viral Infections Like SARS-CoV-2, Inflammation and Cancers and Options to Meet Increased Global Demand

Artemisinin is a natural bioactive sesquiterpene lactone containing an unusual endoperoxide 1, 2, 4-trioxane ring. It is derived from the herbal medicinal plant Artemisia annua and is best known for its use in treatment of malaria. However, recent studies also indicate the potential for artemisinin and related compounds, commonly referred to as artemisinins, in combating viral infections, inflammation and certain cancers. Moreover, the different potential modes of action of artemisinins make these compounds also potentially relevant to the challenges the world faces in the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial studies indicate positive effects of artemisinin or Artemisia spp. extracts to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 related symptoms and WHO-supervised clinical studies on the potential of artemisinins to combat COVID-19 are now in progress. However, implementing multiple potential new uses of artemisinins will require effective solutions to boost production, either by enhancing synthesis in A. annua itself or through biotechnological engineering in alternative biosynthesis platforms. Because of this renewed interest in artemisinin and its derivatives, here we review its modes of action, its potential application in different diseases including COVID-19, its biosynthesis and future options to boost production.

Artesunate inhibits intestinal tumorigenesis through inhibiting wnt signaling

Artesunate (ART) is a clinically approved antimalarial drug and was revealed as a candidate of colorectal cancer chemopreventive agents in our drug screening system. Here, we aimed to understand the suppressive effects of ART on intestinal tumorigenesis. In vitro, ART reduced T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) promoter transcriptional activity. In vivo, ART inhibited intestinal polyp development. We found that ART reduces TCF1/TCF7 nuclear translocation by binding the Ras-related nuclear protein (RAN), suggesting that ART inhibits TCF/LEF transcriptional factor nuclear translocation by binding to RAN, thereby inhibiting Wnt signaling. Our results provide a novel mechanism through which artesunate inhibits intestinal tumorigenesis.

Phytocompounds Targeting Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer: An Assessment of Role, Mechanisms, Pathways, and Therapeutic Relevance

The metabolism of cancer is remarkably different from that of normal cells and confers a variety of benefits, including the promotion of other cancer hallmarks. As the rewired metabolism is a near-universal property of cancer cells, efforts are underway to exploit metabolic vulnerabilities for therapeutic benefits. In the continued search for safer and effective ways of cancer treatment, structurally diverse plant-based compounds have gained substantial attention. Here, we present an extensive assessment of the role of phytocompounds in modulating cancer metabolism and attempt to make a case for the use of plant-based compounds in targeting metabolic vulnerabilities of cancer. We discuss the pharmacological interactions of phytocompounds with major metabolic pathways and evaluate the role of phytocompounds in the regulation of growth signaling and transcriptional programs involved in the metabolic transformation of cancer. Lastly, we examine the potential of these compounds in the clinical management of cancer along with limitations and challenges.

Repositioning of Antiparasitic Drugs for Tumor Treatment

Drug repositioning is a strategy for identifying new antitumor drugs; this strategy allows existing and approved clinical drugs to be innovatively repurposed to treat tumors. Based on the similarities between parasitic diseases and cancer, recent studies aimed to investigate the efficacy of existing antiparasitic drugs in cancer. In this review, we selected two antihelminthic drugs (macrolides and benzimidazoles) and two antiprotozoal drugs (artemisinin and its derivatives, and quinolines) and summarized the research progresses made to date on the role of these drugs in cancer. Overall, these drugs regulate tumor growth via multiple targets, pathways, and modes of action. These antiparasitic drugs are good candidates for comprehensive, in-depth analyses of tumor occurrence and development. In-depth studies may improve the current tumor diagnoses and treatment regimens. However, for clinical application, current investigations are still insufficient, warranting more comprehensive analyses.

Artesunate inhibits melanoma progression in vitro via suppressing STAT3 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Melanoma is a life-threatening cancer characterized with a potentially metastatic tumor of melanocytic origin. Improved methods or novel therapies are urgently needed to eliminate the development of metastases. Artesunate is a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin used for trarment of malaria and cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of artesunate and the role on STAT3 signaling in A375 human melanoma cell line.

METHODS

Melanoma cells were treated with artesunate at concentrations of 0-5 μM for 24 and 48 h. The inhibition of cell viability, colony formation, migration, invasion, adhesion, percentage of apoptotic cells, and expressions of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) and related proteins were examined.

RESULTS

Artesunate inhibited cellular proliferation of cancer cells by induction of apoptosis at sub-toxic doses. Cells treated with artesunate showed an inhibition in adhesion to extracellular matrix substrate matrigel and type IV collagen. Artesunate treatment showed a decreased cellular migration, invasion, and colony formation in melanoma cells. Artesunate also inhibited STAT3 and Src activations and STAT3 related protein expressions; such as metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, Mcl-1, Bxl-xL, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Twist. Moreover, overexpression of constitutively active STAT3 in A375 cells attenuated the anti-proliferative, apoptotic and anti-invasive effects of artesunate.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained from this study demonstrated that the anticancer activity of artesunate occurred via STAT3 pathway and its target proteins. Therefore, it can be suggested that artesunate may be an important candidate molecule in the treatment of melanoma.

Artemisinins as a novel anti-cancer therapy: Targeting a global cancer pandemic through drug repurposing

Artemisinins are a unique class of antimalarial drugs with significant potential for drug repurposing for a wide range of diseases including cancer. Cancer is a leading cause of death globally and the majority of cancer related deaths occur in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) where conventional treatment options are often limited by financial cost. Drug repurposing can significantly shorten new therapeutic discovery pathways, ensuring greater accessibility and affordability globally. Artemisinins have an excellent safety and tolerability profile as well as being affordable for deployment in Low and Middle Class Income Countries at around USD1 per daily dose. Robust, well designed clinical trials of artemisinin drug repurposing are indicated for a variety of different cancers and treatment settings.

Artemisinins as Anticancer Drugs: Novel Therapeutic Approaches, Molecular Mechanisms, and Clinical Trials

Artemisinin and its derivatives have shown broad-spectrum antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, outcomes from a limited number of clinical trials provide encouraging evidence for their excellent antitumor activities. However, some problems such as poor solubility, toxicity and controversial mechanisms of action hamper their use as effective antitumor agents in the clinic. In order to accelerate the use of ARTs in the clinic, researchers have recently developed novel therapeutic approaches including developing novel derivatives, manufacturing novel nano-formulations, and combining ARTs with other drugs for cancer therapy. The related mechanisms of action were explored. This review describes ARTs used to induce non-apoptotic cell death containing oncosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis. Moreover, it highlights the ARTs-caused effects on cancer metabolism, immunosuppression and cancer stem cells and discusses clinical trials of ARTs used to treat cancer. The review provides additional insight into the molecular mechanism of action of ARTs and their considerable clinical potential.

Combination Therapies of Artemisinin and its Derivatives as a Viable Approach for Future Cancer Treatment

BACKGROUND

Many anticancer drugs have been developed for clinical usage till now, but the major problem is the development of drug-resistance over a period of time in the treatment of cancer. Anticancer drugs produce huge adverse effects, ultimately leading to death of the patient. Researchers have been focusing on the development of novel molecules with higher efficacy and lower toxicity; the anti-malarial drug artemisinin and its derivatives have exhibited cytotoxic effects.

METHODS

We have done extensive literature search for artemisinin for its new role as anti-cancer agent for future treatment. Last two decades papers were referred for deep understanding to strengthen its role.

RESULT

Literature shows changes at 9, 10 position in the artemisinin structure produces anticancer activity. Artemisinin shows anticancer activity in leukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal and breast cancer cell lines. Artemisinin and its derivatives have been studied as combination therapy with several synthetic compounds, RNA interfaces, recombinant proteins and antibodies etc., for synergizing the effect of these drugs. They produce an anticancer effect by causing cell cycle arrest, regulating signaling in apoptosis, angiogenesis and cytotoxicity activity on the steroid receptors. Many novel formulations of artemisinin are being developed in the form of carbon nanotubes, polymer-coated drug particles, etc., for delivering artemisinin, since it has poor water/ oil solubility and is chemically unstable.

CONCLUSION

We have summarize the combination therapies of artemisinin and its derivatives with other anticancer drugs and also focussed on recent developments of different drug delivery systems in the last 10 years. Various reports and clinical trials of artemisinin type drugs indicated selective cytotoxicity along with minimal toxicity thus projecting them as promising anti-cancer agents in future cancer therapies.

Dihydroartemisinin Inhibits the Proliferation of Leukemia Cells K562 by Suppressing PKM2 and GLUT1 Mediated Aerobic Glycolysis

BACKGROUND

Leukemia threatens so many lives around the world. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), as a typical derivative of artemisinin (ART), can efficiently inhibit leukemia, but the controversial mechanisms are still controversial. Many reports showed that tumor cells acquire energy through the glycolysis pathway, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) plays a crucial role in regulating glycolysis. However, it is unclear whether PKM2 or other key molecules are involved in DHA induced cytotoxicity in leukemia cells. Thus, this paper systematically investigated the anticancer effect and mechanism of DHA on human chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells.

METHODS

In vitro, cytotoxicity was detected with CCK-8. Glucose uptake, lactate production and pyruvate kinase activity were investigated to evaluate the effect of DHA on K562 cells. To elucidate the cellular metabolism alterations induced by DHA, the extracellular acidification rate was assessed using Seahorse XF96 extracellular flux analyzer. Immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, and Western blotting were used to investigate the molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

We found that DHA prevented cell proliferation in K562 cells through inhibiting aerobic glycolysis. Lactate product and glucose uptake were inhibited after DHA treatment. Results showed that DHA modulates glucose uptake through downregulating glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) in both gene and protein levels. The cytotoxicity of DHA on K562 cells was significantly reversed by PKM2 agonist DASA-58. Pyruvate kinase activity was significantly reduced after DHA treatment, decreased expression of PKM2 was confirmed in situ.

CONCLUSION

The present study implicated that DHA inhibits leukemia cell proliferation by regulating glycolysis and metabolism, which mediated by downregulating PKM2 and GLUT1 expression. Our finding might enrich the artemisinins' antitumor mechanisms.

Targeting autophagy enhances the anticancer effect of artemisinin and its derivatives

Artemisinin and its derivatives, with their outstanding clinical efficacy and safety, represent the most effective and impactful antimalarial drugs. Apart from its antimalarial effect, artemisinin has also been shown to exhibit selective anticancer properties against multiple cancer types both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, our previous studies highlighted the therapeutic effects of artemisinin on autophagy regulation. Autophagy is a well-conserved degradative process that recycles cytoplasmic contents and organelles in lysosomes to maintain cellular homeostasis. The deregulation of autophagy is often observed in cancer cells, where it contributes to tumor adaptation to nutrient-deficient tumor microenvironments. This review discusses recent advances in the anticancer properties of artemisinin and its derivatives via their regulation of autophagy, mitophagy, and ferritinophagy. In particular, we will discuss the mechanisms of artemisinin activation in cancer and novel findings regarding the role of artemisinin in regulating autophagy, which involves changes in multiple signaling pathways. More importantly, with increasing failure rates and the high cost of the development of novel anticancer drugs, the strategy of repurposing traditional therapeutic Chinese medicinal agents such as artemisinin to treat cancer provides a more attractive alternative. We believe that the topics covered here will be important in demonstrating the potential of artemisinin and its derivatives as safe and potent anticancer agents.

Targeting Tumor Metabolism with Plant-Derived Natural Products: Emerging Trends in Cancer Therapy

Recognition of neoplastic metabolic reprogramming as one of cancer's hallmarks has paved the way for developing novel metabolism-targeted therapeutic approaches. The use of plant-derived natural bioactive compounds for this endeavor is especially promising, due to their diverse structures and multiple targets. Hence, over the past decade, a growing number of studies have assessed the impact of phytochemicals on tumor cell metabolism, aiming at improving current knowledge on their mechanisms of action and, at the same time, evaluating their potential as anti-cancer metabolic modulators. In this Review, we focus on three classes of plant-derived compounds with promising anti-cancer activity-phenolic compounds, isoprenoids, and alkaloids-to describe their effects on major energetic and biosynthetic pathways of human tumor cells. Such a comprehensive and integrated account of the ability of these compounds to hit different metabolic targets is expected to contribute to the rational design and critical assessment of novel anti-cancer therapies based on natural-product-mediated metabolic reprogramming.

Antitumor Research on Artemisinin and Its Bioactive Derivatives

Cancer is the leading cause of human death which seriously threatens human life. The antimalarial drug artemisinin and its derivatives have been discovered with considerable anticancer properties. Simultaneously, a variety of target-selective artemisinin-related compounds with high efficiency have been discovered. Many researches indicated that artemisinin-related compounds have cytotoxic effects against a variety of cancer cells through pleiotropic effects, including inhibiting the proliferation of tumor cells, promoting apoptosis, inducing cell cycle arrest, disrupting cancer invasion and metastasis, preventing angiogenesis, mediating the tumor-related signaling pathways, and regulating tumor microenvironment. More importantly, artemisinins demonstrated minor side effects to normal cells and manifested the ability to overcome multidrug-resistance which is widely observed in cancer patients. Therefore, we concentrated on the new advances and development of artemisinin and its derivatives as potential antitumor agents in recent 5 years. It is our hope that this review could be helpful for further exploration of novel artemisinin-related antitumor agents.

Artesunate induces apoptosis and autophagy in HCT116 colon cancer cells, and autophagy inhibition enhances the artesunate‑induced apoptosis

The present study assessed the antitumor effect of artesunate (ART) in vitro and in vivo, as well as its underlying mechanism of action in HCT116 colon cancer cells. An MTT assay, DAPI staining, flow cytometry, western blotting, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy and TUNEL assay were performed to study the molecular mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of ART in HCT116 colon cancer cells. ART was observed to inhibit proliferation by inducing the apoptosis of HCT116 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that treatment with 2 and 4 µg/ml ART for 48 h induced early apoptosis in 22.7 and 33.8% of cells, respectively. In the xenograft tumors of BALB/c nude mice, TUNEL-positive cells increased in the ART group compared with that in the normal saline group. Furthermore,the associated mitochondrial cleaved-caspase 3, poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), caspase 9 and Bcl-2-associated X protein levels increased while B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) decreased both in the cell and animal ART-treated group. ART-treated cells also exhibited autophagy induction, as evidenced by increased protein expression levels of light chain 3 (LC3) and beclin-1, and the presence of autophagosomes. Notably, pharmacological blockade of autophagy activation using hydroxychloroquine markedly enhanced ART-induced apoptosis and increased the protein levels of cleaved caspase 3 and PARP, while decreasing the levels of LC3 and beclin-1. These findings suggested that the ART-induced autophagy may have a cytoprotective effect by suppressing apoptosis. In conclusion, ART may be a potentially clinically useful anticancer drug for human colon cancer. In addition, co-treatment with ART and an autophagy inhibitor may be an effective anticancer therapy.

Dihydroartemisinin inhibits EMT induced by platinum-based drugs via Akt-Snail pathway

Artemisinin and its derivatives exhibit a high activity against a range of cancer cell types both in vitro and in vivo. In clinical practice, platinum-based anti-cancer chemotherapy is widely used to treat tumors. However, a large proportion of patients receiving these treatments will relapse because of metastasis and drug resistance. The purpose of this study is to explore the combinational anti-metastatic effect of platinum-based drugs and dihydroartemisinin (DHA). Both DDP and oxaliplatin (OXA) at low doses could induce epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC. Meanwhile, co-administration of DHA could enhance DDP and OXA chemosensitivity in HCC and reverse drug resistance. DHA reversed the morphological changes induced by DDP or OXA and reversed the changes in EMT biomarkers induced by DDP and OXA in HCC in vitro and in vivo via AKT–Snail signaling. DHA significantly increased platinum-based drug sensitivity and suppressed EMT induced by platinum-based drugs via AKT–Snail signaling in HCC. DHA is expected to become the new adjuvant for chemotherapy.