Cancer Lett. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as:
Cancer Lett. 2011 Sep 1; 308(1): 43–53.
Published online 2011 May 13. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2011.04.012
PMCID: PMC3144783
NIHMSID: NIHMS291156
Jing Wu,1,* Coral Omene,2,3,*# Jerzy Karkoszka,1 Maarten Bosland,1,3 Jonathan Eckard,1 Catherine B. Klein,1 and Krystyna Frenkel1,3,#
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Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) patients use alternative and natural remedies more than patients with other malignancies. Specifically, 63%–83% use at least one type of alternative medicine and 25%–63% use herbals and vitamins. Propolis is a naturopathic honeybee product, and CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), is a major medicinal component of propolis. CAPE, in a concentration dependent fashion, inhibits MCF-7 (hormone receptor positive, HR+) and MDA-231 (a model of triple-negative BC (TNBC) tumor growth, both in vitro and in vivo without much effect on normal mammary cells and strongly influences gene and protein expression. It induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and reduces expression of growth and transcription factors, including NF-κB. Notably, CAPE down-regulates mdr-1 gene, considered responsible for the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Further, CAPE dose-dependently suppresses VEGF formation by MDA-231 cells and formation of capillary-like tubes by endothelial cells, implicating inhibitory effects on angiogenesis. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that CAPE inhibits MDA-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer growth via its apoptotic effects, and modulation of NF-κB, the cell cycle, and angiogenesis.
* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.