A formulated red ginseng extract inhibits autophagic flux and sensitizes to doxorubicin-induced cell death

Ginseng is believed to have antitumor activity. Autophagy is largely a pro-survival cellular process that is activated in response to cellular stressors, including cytotoxic chemotherapy; therefore, agents that inhibit autophagy can be used as chemosensitizers in cancer treatment. We examined the ability of Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) to prevent autophagic flux and to make hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells become more sensitive to doxorubicin.