Evaluation of Melatonin Effect on Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells Using a Threedimensional Growth Method of Mammospheres

Title:Evaluation of Melatonin Effect on Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells Using a Threedimensional Growth Method of Mammospheres

Volume: 17 Issue: 7

Author(s): Juliana Ramos Lopes, Mayume da Silva Kavagutti, Felipe Arthur Faustino de Medeiros and Debora Aparecida Pires de Campos Zuccari*

Affiliation:

• Laboratory of Molecular Research in Cancer (LIMC), Faculty of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 5416, Vila São Pedro, São José do Rio Preto (SP),Brazil

Keywords: Mammospheres, breast cancer, OCT4, melatonin, immunocytochemistry and three-dimensional.

Abstract: Background: The high rates of women's death from breast cancer occur due to acquired resistance by patients to certain treatments, enabling the recurrence and/or tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. It has been demonstrated that the presence of cancer stem cells in human tumors, as responsible for recurrence and resistance to therapy. Studies have identified OCT4 as responsible for self-renewal and maintenance of pluripotency of stem cells. Thus, it is interesting to study potential drugs that target this specific population in breast cancer. Melatonin, appears to have oncostatic effects on cancer cells, however, little is known about its therapeutic effect on cancer stem cells.

Objective: Evaluate the viability and the expression of OCT4 in breast cancer stem cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB- 231, after melatonin treatment.

Method: The cells were grown in a 3-dimensional model of mammospheres, representing the breast cancer stem cell population and treated or not with melatonin. The cell viability of mammospheres were evaluated by MTT assay and the OCT4 expression, a cancer stem cells marker, was verified by immunocitochemistry.

Results: Our results demonstrated that the melatonin treatment decreased the cell viability of MCF-7 and MDAMB- 231 mammospheres. Furthermore, it was observed that in both cell lines, the expression of OCT4 was decreased in melatonin-treated cells compared to the control group.

Conclusions: This fact suggests that melatonin is effective against breast cancer stem cells inhibiting the cell viability via OCT 4. Based on that, we believe that melatonin has a high potential to be used as an alternative treatment for breast cancer.

Cite this article as:

Lopes Ramos Juliana, Kavagutti da Silva Mayume, de Medeiros Arthur Faustino Felipe and de Campos Zuccari Aparecida Pires Debora*, Evaluation of Melatonin Effect on Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells Using a Threedimensional Growth Method of Mammospheres, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2017; 17 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520616666160923093229

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520616666160923093229	Print ISSN 1871-5206
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-5992