Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
06:54

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells

Published on: October 27, 2020

Cryptotanshinone Directly Targets MEK1 to Inhibit Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells Through

Min Qian1, Xin Liu1, Zhuoran Chai1

  • 1School of Chemistry and Life Science, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China.

Phytotherapy Research : PTR
|June 9, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Cryptotanshinone (CPT) inhibits breast cancer cell migration and invasion by targeting MEK1, suppressing the MEK/ERK/EMT pathway. This study reveals CPT

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cryptotanshinone (CPT) shows inhibitory effects on breast cancer (BC).
  • The precise mechanisms by which CPT affects breast cancer cell migration and invasion remain unclear.
  • Understanding CPT's mechanism is crucial for developing novel anti-metastasis therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of CPT on breast cancer cell migration and invasion.
  • To explore the role of CPT in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
  • To validate CPT's direct binding to MEK1 and its anti-metastasis effects in vivo.

Main Methods:

  • Network pharmacology, wound healing, and Transwell assays were used to analyze CPT's effects on BC cell migration and invasion.
  • Western blot, immunofluorescence, molecular docking, MD simulations, CETSA, and DARTS were employed to elucidate the mechanism.
  • In vivo studies using BC nude mouse xenografts and tail vein injection models assessed anti-metastasis efficacy.

Main Results:

  • CPT dose-dependently inhibited EMT, reducing breast cancer cell migration and invasion.
  • CPT directly binds to MEK1, inhibiting its phosphorylation and kinase activity.
  • CPT suppressed breast cancer metastasis in vivo, targeting the MEK/ERK/EMT axis.

Conclusions:

  • CPT suppresses breast cancer metastasis by targeting MEK1 and inhibiting the MEK/ERK/EMT pathway.
  • CPT demonstrates potential as an anti-metastasis agent for breast cancer treatment.
  • This study provides mechanistic insights into CPT's anti-cancer properties.
Keywords:
MEK1cryptotanshinoneepithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transitioninvasionmigration

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