| Summary: | The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is considered an essential proliferation signature in cancer. In the current research study, qPCR induced expression of <i>EpCAM</i> was noted in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone found in crepe ginger and lettuce, is a medicinal herb with anticancer properties. Expression of <i>EpCAM</i> and its downstream target genes (<i>Myc</i> and <i>TERT</i>) wasdownregulated upon treatment with costunolide in Jurkat cells. A significant change in the telomere length of Jurkat cells was not noted at 72 h of costunolide treatment. An in silico study revealed hydrophobic interactions between EpCAM extracellular domain and Myc bHLH with costunolide. Reduced expression of <i>NFκB</i>, a transcription factor of <i>EpCAM</i>, <i>Myc,</i> and <i>TERT</i> in costunolide-treated Jurkat cells, suggested that costunolide inhibits gene expression by targeting NFκB and its downstream targets. Overall, the study proposes that costunolide could be a promising therapeutic biomolecule for leukemia.
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