Carvacrol as a Therapeutic Candidate in Breast Cancer: Insights into Subtype-Specific Cellular Modulation.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Carvacrol, a natural phenolic monoterpenoid, is investigated for its potential anticancer properties.
• The precise mechanisms of carvacrol's action in breast cancer (BC) are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the anticancer mechanisms of carvacrol in both hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines.
• To evaluate carvacrol's effects on cell viability, migration, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, cancer stem cell markers, and gene expression.

Main Methods:

• Treatment of MCF-7 (HR+) and MDA-MB-231 (TNBC) breast cancer cell lines with carvacrol.
• Assessment of cell viability (CVDK8 kit), migration (wound healing assays), apoptosis (Annexin V-FITC Kit), and ROS levels (DCFH-DA assay).
• Flow cytometry for CD44/CD133 cancer stem cell markers and quantitative PCR (qPCR) for gene expression analysis.

Main Results:

• Carvacrol inhibited proliferation and migration in both HR+ and TNBC cells.
• It increased the BAX/BCL2 ratio, induced apoptosis, and reduced ROS levels, with higher antioxidant activity in MCF-7 cells.
• Carvacrol suppressed CD44+ levels and modulated gene expression (ABCG2, NFκB1) in a subtype-specific manner.

Conclusions:

• Carvacrol demonstrates multitargeted anticancer effects in breast cancer by promoting apoptosis, reducing ROS, and suppressing CD44+, with distinct subtype-specific actions.
• Carvacrol shows promise as a natural therapeutic compound for breast cancer, warranting further in vivo and clinical studies.