Three-dimensional growth of breast cancer cells potentiates the anti-tumor effects of unacylated ghrelin and AZP-531.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 32667883.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.56913 and PMC identifier 7363447.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and notwithstanding important therapeutic advances, remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite extensive research relating to the hormone ghrelin, responsible for the stimulation of growth hormone release and appetite, little is known of the effects of its unacylated form, especially in cancer. The present study aimed to characterize effects of unacylated ghrelin on breast cancer cells, define its mechanism of action, and explore the therapeutic potential of unacylated ghrelin or analog AZP-531. We report potent anti-tumor effects of unacylated ghrelin, dependent on cells being cultured in 3D in a biologically-relevant extracellular matrix. The mechanism of unacylated ghrelin-mediated growth inhibition involves activation of Gαi and suppression of MAPK signaling. AZP-531 also suppresses the growth of breast cancer cells <i>in vitro</i> and in xenografts, and may be a novel approach for the safe and effective treatment of breast cancer.
Medical subject headings
- Antineoplastic Agents
- Ghrelin
- Peptide Fragments
- Peptides, Cyclic
- Spheroids, Cellular