Anti-cancer effects of frankincense methanolic extract on brain metastatic breast cancer cells

Objective: Brain metastasis in patients with breast cancer is considered a deadly event. The oleogum resins of Boswellia species, known as Frankincense  has been found to have anti-cancer properties in many studies. The main purpose of our research was to evaluate these effects on brain metastatic cancer cells.Materials and Methods: Primary (۴T۱T) and brain metastatic (۴T۱B) tumor cells were isolated from breast cancerous mice. Cytotoxic, apoptotic, and anti-metastatic effects of the methanolic extract of frankincense were evaluated with MTT assay, propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometric assay, and scratch test, respectively. Zymography assay was used to evaluate the effects of extract on the matrix metalloproteinases-۲ and -۹ (MMP-۲ /۹) expression/activity.Results: The methanolic extract of frankincense has significant cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on ۴T۱B cells (p<۰.۰۰۱). Interestingly, ۴T۱B cells are more prone to these effects than ۴T۱T cells. In ۴T۱B, the anti-metastatic effects of frankincense extract were confirmed. Frankincense suppressed MMP-۲/۹ protein expression both in ۴T۱T and ۴T۱B.Conclusion: Our findings indicated that frankincense extract has a potent cytotoxic effect on brain metastatic tumor cells and induces apoptosis in these cells. Unlike many anti-cancer drugs which have very little ability to combat and kill brain metastatic cancer cells, frankincense extract can be considered a suitable candidate to fight these cells.

کلیدواژه ها:

Frankincense ، Brain metastasis ، Triple negative breast cancer ، Antimetastatic