Is Danggui Safe to be Taken by Breast Cancer Patients?-A Skepticism Finally Answered by Comprehensive Preclinical Evidence

Natural product Eriocalyxin B suppressed triple negative breast cancer metastasis both in vitro and in vivo

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and its metastasis to distant organs accounts for the majority of death. Eriocalyxin B (Eri B), an ent-kaurane diterpenoid isolating from Isodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora, has previously been reported to have anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects in breast cancer. Here, we investigated the effect of Eri B on cell migration and adhesion in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, as well as aldehyde dehydrogenases 1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1) expression, colony- and sphere-formation in cancer stem cell (CSC) enriched MDA-MB-231 cells. The in vivo anti-metastatic activities of Eri B were determined in 3 different breast tumor-bearing mouse models. Our results indicated that Eri B inhibited TNBC cell migration and adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins, and also reduced ALDH1A1 expression and colony formation in CSC-enriched MDA-MB-231 cells. The metastasis-related pathways, such as epidermal growth factor receptor/ mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases 1/2/ extracellular regulated protein kinase signaling altered by Eri B was firstly shown in MDA-MB-231 cells. The potent anti-metastatic efficacies of Eri B were demonstrated in breast xenograft-bearing mice and syngeneic breast tumor-bearing mice. Gut microbiome analysis results revealed the change in the diversity and composition of microbiome after Eri B treatment, and the potential pathways that are involved in the anti-cancer efficacy of Eri B. In conclusion, Eri B was shown to inhibit breast cancer metastasis in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our findings further support the development of Eri B as an anti-metastatic agent for breast cancer.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Class of Potentially Reliable Epigenetic Drugs

Epigenetic modification, especially DNA methylation, plays a nonnegligible role in the occurrence and development of tumors. Increasing studies are indicating that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a considerable anti-tumor role by regulating the process of DNA methylation modification. Studies on TCM regulating DNA methylation modification mostly focus on the whole genome and abnormal methylation status by active ingredients or single compounds and Chinese herb formula (CHF). The balance and overall concept of TCM theory coincides with the balance of DNA methylation modification in the tumor environment. Regardless of how TCM modulates epigenetics in tumor, it has been shown to bet a class of potentially reliable epigenetic drug.

Tumorigenic risk of Angelica sinensis on ER-positive breast cancer growth through ER-induced stemness in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The root of Angelica sinensis is widely used in traditional Chinese Medicine for relieving gynecological discomforts among the women population. However, its hormone-like effects have raised great attention on whether it is appropriate to use in breast cancer (BC) patients. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the tumorigenic effect of aqueous root extract of Angelica sinensis (AS) on estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BC growth through ER-induced stemness in-vitro and in-vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The chemical composition of the AS was characterized by HPLC. Cell viability was detected by MTS assay. The in-vivo effect of AS was investigated by xenograft model, immunohistochemistry, histology, Western blot, and self-renewal ability assay. Target verification was used by shRNA construction and transfection. Mammosphere formation assay was performed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

AS significantly promoted the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells. AS significantly induced tumor growth (2.5 mg/kg) in xenograft models and however tamoxifen treatment significantly suppressed the AS-induced tumor growth. AS induced ERα expression in both in-vivo and in-vitro and promoted cancer stem cell activity in ER-positive BC.

CONCLUSION

AS shows the tumorigenic potential on ER-positive BC growth through ERα induced stemness, suggesting that the usage of AS is not recommended for BC in terms of safety measures.

Influence of cultural practices on breast cancer risks, stage at presentation and outcome in a multi-ethnic developing country

Malaysia is a developing country made up of three main ethnicities: Malay, Chinese and Indian. There are significant ethnic differences with regard to the type of daily food and cooking methods, contraception, breast-feeding preferences, confinement period and care, postmenopausal intake and influence of the traditional healer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women across all three ethnicities. However, the National Cancer Registry and local medical centres have documented ethnic differences in breast cancer risk (Chinese, 40.7 per 100,000; Indian, 38.1 per 100,000; Malay, 31.5 per 100,000), peak age (youngest in the Malays), stage at presentation (largest percentage at advanced stage among the Malays) and survival (poorest survival rate among the Malays). The Malays have several practices that are protective against breast cancer compared with the Chinese. However, the Malays have strong beliefs in the traditional healer, which contribute to the delay in getting treatment, causing a poor outcome and a low survival rate. The highest BRCA1 and 2 genetic mutation incidence is amongst the Chinese, but the Malays have the largest triple-negative breast cancer rates. These factors may also contribute to the statistical breast cancer data.

A population-based case-control study on the association of Angelica sinensis exposure with risk of breast cancer

Background

Due to a lack of evidence from large-scale epidemiological studies by far on this issue, whether there is a link between Angelica sinensis exposure and breast cancer risk remained inconclusive.

Methods

We conducted a population-based case-control study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance claim data, in which all breast cancer patients newly diagnosed between 2005 and 2008 were employed as the case group (n = 34,262) and a random sample of non-breast cancer individuals selected from 1-million beneficiaries registered in 2005 was served as the control group. For fair comparability, we employed the time density sampling method to select controls who were matched to case on date of breast cancer diagnosis and age with a case/control ratio of 1/3 (n = 102,786).

Results

We found that the use of Angelica sinensis presents a weakly but significantly protective effect on breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93–0.98), with a significant dose-gradient relationship. We also noted a stronger association with breast cancer with initial use of Angelica sinensis at a longer time before breast cancer diagnosis, and found that the seemingly protective effect of Angelica sinensis was more obvious among women who had initial use at 47–55 years (aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88–0.98).

Conclusion

This population-based case-control study revealed that exposure to Angelica sinensis showed a weakly but significantly protective effect on breast cancer risk, which could ease people’s concern over the potential carcinogenic effect from exposure to Angelica sinensis.

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Angelica sinensis was associated with a weakly protective effect on breast cancer.

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The methodological strengths included population-based and a fairy large sample size.

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Provide further insight to the link between phytohormone in TCM and breast cancer.