title: Anti-Proliferative Activity of λ-Carrageenan Through the Induction of Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sulfated Polysaccharides (SPs) possess spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic properties that could attributed to their origins variation, chemical structures and biological activities. Various studies have shown the impact of SPs on proliferation in different cancer cell lines.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we have evaluated the biological effects of λ-carrageenan, a highly SP, extracted from the red seaweed Laurencia papillosa, on MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line.
  
  
  METHODS
  MDA-MB-231 cells have treated with λ-carrageenan, the viability and apoptosis have assessed by the appropriate florescent probes on flow cytometer. The expression levels of mRNA of apoptotic genes have detected by real-time PCR analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results have indicated that the signaling pathway of λ-carrageenan inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells by up-regulating the pro-apoptotic genes caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-3 which have been resulting the increased levels of active caspase-3 protein. Furthermore, This SP had that capacity to disrupt the mitochondrial function by altering the bax/bcl-2 ratio of expression which has considered an important element in apoptosis induction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presented results have signposted that λ-carrageenan was a promising bioactive polymer which could be a potential candidate in preventing or treating breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jazzara
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria (AECS), Damascus, Syria.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghannam
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
authors.forename: Chadi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soukkarieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria (AECS), Damascus, Syria.
authors.forename: Hossam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murad
keywords: Anti-Proliferation; Apoptosis; Breast Cancer; MDA-MB-231; λ-Carrageenan