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William J. Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCO
William J. Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCO
Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2023
In the quest for effective and less-toxic treatments for breast cancer, Ali Nemati, PhD, of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and colleagues delved into the potential antiproliferative and antimetastatic activities of natural compounds, specifically, dandelion extract and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). The study revealed an additive cytotoxic effect when ATRA was combined with dandelion extract in MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells, respectively. Of note, this co-treatment exhibited significant alterations in the expression of key genes associated with metastasis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic strategy, according to the study authors.
Human MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells were subjected to varying concentrations of ATRA in combination with dandelion extract. The concentrations of 40 μM of ATRA, along with 1.5 and 4 mg/mL of dandelion extract, were added to MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells, respectively. To unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects, the authors assessed the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, IL-1β, p53, NM23, and KAI1 in both cell lines.
The data indicated a cytotoxic impact of the dandelion/ATRA co-treatment. Of note, the expression levels of MMP-9 and IL-1β were significantly reduced in both cell lines compared with untreated cells. Conversely, the expression levels of p53 and KAI1 were elevated. Moreover, distinct expression of MMP-2 and NM23 was exhibited in the two studied cell lines. These findings suggest that treatment with dandelion plus ATRA not only may exert cytotoxic effects but also may modulate the expression of antimetastatic genes in breast cancer cells.
This strategy may offer a dual-pronged approach by targeting cancer cell viability and influencing key genes associated with metastasis. “Overall, it appears that dandelion, or its combination with ATRA, can be very effective in inducing cell death and controlling the main agents involved in the invasion of breast cancer cells,” the investigators concluded. Further clinical investigations are warranted to validate these findings and to explore the translational potential of this combination of natural compounds in breast cancer therapy.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
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