RETRACTED: Identifying the inhibitory mechanism of apigenin on the insulin ligand-receptor binding (Retracted article. See vol. 7, pg. 1449, 2016)

Although apigenin, a plant flavone, has been shown to inhibit the activation of insulin receptor signaling, its inhibitory mechanism is largely unknown. In this work, using single-molecule force measurement and fluorescence imaging, we demonstrate that apigenin inhibits insulin-induced dimerization of the insulin receptor (IR) through blocking ligand-receptor interactions. This inhibitory effect is also confirmed by flow cytometry and molecular docking. Furthermore we show that apigenin impairs cancer cell proliferation. The role of apigenin in suppressing tumor growth was also evident in an in vivo model, indicating a potential future application of apigenin in cancer therapy.