The reverse pH gradient is a common feature of cancer cells, in which the intracellular pH is more alkaline and the extracellular more acidic. This phenotype is supported by increased activity of pH regulators like ATPases, carbonic anhydrases (CAs), monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and sodium–proton exchangers (NHEs). In this work, we analyzed the expression of these pH regulators and explored their inhibition in breast cancer cells as a therapeutic strategy.
Researchers at the Centre of Agronomic and Agro-Industrial Biotechnology of Alentejo (CEBAL) in Beja identified, in a natural population of Cynara cardunculus, two allelic variants in GAS (Germacrene A Synthase) gene sequence with significant associations between the cynaropicrin content (a lactone sesquiterpene) and the antiproliferative activity of a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MD-231), in vitro.
AS Ribeiro1,2, FA Carvalho3, J Figueiredo1,2, R Carvalho1, T Mestre4, J Monteiro1, AF Guedes3, M Fonseca4, J Sanches4, R Seruca1,2,5, NC Santos3, J Paredes1,2,5
1 i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal;
2 Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto;
Ana Sofia Ribeiro and Joana Paredes 1,2* 1 Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal 2 Department of Pathology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
The cell death is regulated by mitochondria. For high concentrations, betulinic acid disrupts mitochondrial function leading cancer cells to death. Therefore, in the present work, we have altered the main structure of betulinic acid in order to increase the efficacy to kill tumor cells. The new molecules promote the death of breast cancer cells, which showed to be not toxic to normal counterparts.
Although low-molecular weight protein tyrosines phosphatase (LMW-PTP) has been associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression, its role is controversial. In this study, we show that alterations in the RhoA activation status caused by knocking-down separately the two main isoforms of LMW-PTP, fast and slow, interfere with the migratory potential of breast cancer cells. Our results highlight the differential role of LMW-PTP isoforms in cancer biology.
The work entitled «Differential effects of methoxyamine on doxorubicin cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells» addresses the study of DNA repair inhibitors. These compounds have been developed as potential therapeutic agents for the enhancement of the chemotherapy efficacy. In this article, we assessed the effects of methoxyamine in the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induced by doxorubicin in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Methoxyamine is an indirect inhibitor of APE1 enzyme involved in base excision repair (BER) pathway.
A research group from the Department of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, the Chemistry Investigation Centre and the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences of University of Porto, has demonstrated that two green tea flavonoids, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate, act as metabolic antagonists in breast cancer cells.
Um grupo de investigadores do Departamento de Bioquímica da Faculdade de Medicina do Porto, do Centro de Investigação em Química e da Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e alimentação da Universidade do Porto demonstrou que a quercetina e a epigalocatequina galato, dois flavonóides naturais presentes no chá verde, atuam como antagonistas do metabolismo da glicose em células de cancro da mama.
One of the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer is the inhibition of the enzyme aromatase, by the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs). However, besides the success of the third-generation AIs, they induce some adverse effects, like the rapid increase of bone loss and the occurrence of endocrine resistance.
