title: Centchroman suppresses breast cancer metastasis by reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition via downregulation of HER2/ERK1/2/MMP-9 signaling.
abstract: Metastatic spread during carcinogenesis worsens disease prognosis and accelerates the cancer progression. Therefore, newer therapeutic options with higher specificity toward metastatic cancer are required. Centchroman (CC), a female oral contraceptive, has previously been reported to possess antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities in human breast cancer cells. Here, we investigated the effect of CC-treatment against breast cancer metastasis and associated molecular mechanism using in vitro and in vivo models. CC significantly inhibited the proliferation of human and mouse mammary cancer cells. CC-treatment also inhibited migration and invasion capacities of highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells, at sub-IC50 concentrations. Inhibition of cell migration and invasion was found to be associated with the reversal of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as observed by the upregulation of epithelial markers and downregulation of mesenchymal markers as well as decreased activities of matrix metalloproteinases. Experimental EMT induced by exposure to TGFβ/TNFα in nontumorigenic human mammary epithelial MCF10A cells was also reversed by CC as evidenced by morphological changes and modulation in the expression levels of EMT-markers. CC-mediated inhibition of cellular migration was, at least partially, mediated through inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling, which was further validated by using MEK1/2 inhibitor (PD0325901). Furthermore, CC-treatment resulted in suppression of tumor growth and lung metastasis in 4T1-syngeneic mouse model. Collectively, our findings suggest that CC-treatment at higher doses specifically induces cellular apoptosis and inhibits cellular proliferation; whereas at lower doses, it inhibits cellular migration and invasion. Therefore, CC could further be developed as an effective drug candidate against metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Sajid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Samriddhi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Sonam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Amar Deep
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lakra
authors.affiliation: Laboratoy Animal Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Himangsu K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Bora
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India. Electronic address: s.musthapa@cdri.res.in.
authors.forename: Syed Musthapa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Meeran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002486:Centchroman / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002486:Centchroman; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
keywords: Breast cancer; Centchroman; Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; Metastasis; Migration