Natural Compound Could Treat Deadly Breast Cancer

A natural compound called luteolin may help reduce the risk of triple-negative breast cancers spreading. Luteolin is a flavonoid found in herbs such as thyme and parsley, and in vegetables such as celery and broccoli.

Unlike most breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, which includes up to 25 percent of all breast tumors, is especially deadly because it is difficult to treat, and often spreads to other areas of the body. Although chemotherapy is currently the only treatment, the most effective chemotherapy drugs, such as Herceptin and aromatase inhibitors normally used to treat breast cancer, aren’t effective since it isn’t fueled by estrogen or progesterone or the HER2 protein.

“Triple-negative breast cancers are cancer cells that lack three receptors targeted by current chemotherapy regimens,” said researcher Salman Hyder of the University of Missouri-Columbia. “Because of this lack of receptors, common cancer drugs can’t ‘find’ the cells, and doctors must treat the cancer with extremely aggressive and highly toxic treatment strategies.

“Women with this type of breast cancer also frequently develop metastatic lesions that originate from drug-resistant cells.”

The researchers tested luteolin on triple-negative breast cancer cells grown in mice. In the first stage of their research, they found that luteolin slowed the metastasis of triple-negative cancer in the lungs of the mice.

“Mice exposed to human triple-negative breast cancer cells experienced significantly reduced metastastic growth in their lungs after being treated with luteolin,” Hyder said. “In almost every case, the mice also saw no weight loss, which means luteolin has no toxic effects; this plant compound is both safe and effective.”

Then luteolin was tested to see if it was effective in slowing the spread of triple-negative breast cancer cells throughout the body. The cells were tested in dishes that were treated with luteolin.

“Triple-negative breast cancer cells are highly mobile in the body, which helps them metastasize to other organs throughout the body,” Hyder said. “We found that luteolin inhibits that migration and also can kill cancer cells.”

Although research is still in early stages, the researchers hope to gain approval for beginning the development of a drug. If successful, they may conduct human clinical trials of luteolin in women with triple-negative breast cancer.

Previous research conducted at the University of Illinois found that luteolin killed pancreatic cancer cells by blocking a key enzyme essential for the growth and development of cancerous cells, causing the tumors to self-destruct.

Other studies have found that luteolin decreases inflammation, improves cardio function, protects the brain, acts as an antiviral, and helps prevent cataracts.