13-Methyltetradecanoic acid (13-MTD) is a saturated branched-chain fatty acid with potent anticancer effects. It induces apoptosis in various human cancer cells, such as bladder cancer and T-cell lymphoma. The pro-apoptotic mechanism is primarily mediated through the mitochondrial pathway, involving the down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome c release, and subsequent proteolytic activation of caspases. Additionally, 13-MTD down-regulates AKT phosphorylation and activates the phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK).
