Cucurbitacin E inhibits breast tumor metastasis by suppressing cell migration and invasion
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 08/01/2012
Zhang T et al. – Our data demonstrate that CuE blocks breast cancer metastasis by suppressing tumor cell migration and invasion.
Methods- we report our finding with Cucurbitacin E (CuE, ?-elaterin), a tetracyclic triterpenes compound isolated from Cucurbitaceae.
- The potency of CuE on breast cancer metastasis inhibition was assessed in vivo and in vitro.
- In our animal experiments, intraperitoneal administrations of CuE significantly inhibited breast tumor metastasis to the lung without affecting apoptosis or proliferation of inoculated 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
- Treatment of metastatic breast tumor cells with CuE markedly blocked tumor cell migration and invasion in vitro.
- Subsequent studies showed that CuE impaired Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization and suppressed Src/FAK/Rac1/MMP involved pathway.
