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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Invasive Behavior of Human Breast Cancer Cells in Embryonic Zebrafish
Published on: April 25, 2017
Theacrine attenuates epithelial mesenchymal transition in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells
Jeong-Hyeon Ko1, Min Hee Yang2, Seung Ho Baek3
1College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Theacrine, a purine alkaloid structurally similar to caffeine, has recently become of interest as a potential therapeutic compound. Here, we investigated the antimetastatic potential of theacrine on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. We observed that theacrine can reverse epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which resulted in a decrease in the levels of mesenchymal markers (Fibronectin, Vimentin, N-cadherin, Twist, and Snail) and an increase in the levels of epithelial markers (Occludin and E-cadherin) in the cells. Additionally, theacrine attenuates TGF-β-induced EMT, cell adhesion, migration, and invasion in MDA-MB-231 cells. Overall, our results suggest that theacrine may inhibit the breast cancer cell metastasis by reversing the EMT process.
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