On July 16, 2026, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) organized the doctoral thesis defense at the university level for PhD candidate Trieu Ha Phuong, majoring in Pharmacological, Medical and Agronomical Biotechnology, code 9420201, with the thesis entitled: “Uncovering the anti-cancer activities of hesperidin and nitidine against NTERA-2 cancer stem cells.”
The thesis was supervised by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Thi Thao from the Institute of Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and co-supervised by Dr. Nguyen Phuong Nga from the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
The defense was conducted in accordance with academic procedures
During the defense, PhD candidate Trieu Ha Phuong presented the main contents and findings of her thesis, which focused on evaluating the biological activities of the natural compounds hesperidin and nitidine against NTERA-2 cancer stem cells.
Following the presentation, members of the Evaluation Committee raised questions and discussed the research methodology, the mechanisms of action of the two compounds, the reliability of the findings, and potential directions for further research.
Investigating natural compounds targeting cancer stem cell–related features
Cancer stem cells have attracted increasing research attention due to their self-renewal capacity and their association with tumor development. Meanwhile, flavonoids and alkaloids derived from medicinal plants represent potential sources of bioactive compounds because of their structural diversity and promising biological properties.
Against this background, the thesis investigated two natural compounds from distinct chemical classes: hesperidin, a flavonoid glycoside isolated from Zanthoxylum rhetsa, and nitidine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid isolated from Zanthoxylum myriacanthum. Their biological activities were evaluated using NTERA-2 cells as a representative cancer stem cell model.
The study employed a range of cellular and molecular methods to assess the compounds’ effects on cell proliferation, cell-cycle progression, programmed cell death, and cancer stem cell–related self-renewal properties.
Notable scientific findings
The findings showed that both hesperidin and nitidine exhibited selective cytotoxic effects against NTERA-2 cells, with lower effects on HEK-293A human embryonic kidney cells. Under the experimental conditions, nitidine demonstrated a stronger inhibitory effect at a lower concentration than hesperidin.
Mechanistic analyses indicated that both compounds induced apoptosis through the p53 signaling pathway and caused cell-cycle arrest. They also significantly suppressed tumorsphere formation and reduced the expression of stemness-associated markers, suggesting an inhibitory effect on cancer stem cell self-renewal properties. Notably, nitidine was also found to induce lysosome-dependent cell death.
A foundation for further research
The findings provide additional experimental evidence regarding the biological activities of hesperidin and nitidine derived from Zanthoxylum species. They also contribute to a better understanding of how these compounds affect NTERA-2 cells and support further investigation into natural compounds targeting cancer stem cell–related features.
The successful defense marked an important milestone in PhD candidate Trieu Ha Phuong’s academic and research journey.
USTH congratulates PhD candidate Trieu Ha Phuong on completing this significant academic milestone and wishes her continued success in her future research and contributions to scientific advancement and healthcare.
