HES1 and colonic neoplasm: In addition, withaferin A inhibits colon cancer by inhibiting Notch-1 signalling, as indicated by the downregulation of Notch-1 targets including Hes-1 and Hey-1; it also inhibits its cross-talk with the Akt/mTOR pathway, thus suggesting the Notch-Akt-mTOR axis as a therapeutic target in colon cancer [226].