Sulforaphane: Its Potential for Treatment of Breast Cancer
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: It has been argued that an increase in intake of fruits and vegetables to just five servings per day could lead to a decline of cancer rates, including breast cancer, by as much as 20%. Epidemiologic data has indicated that a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower provides better protection against breast cancer than overall ingestion of fruits and vegetables because crucifers contain unique plant compounds that play an important role in cancer protection. This project focuses on the anticancer activity of sulforaphane, one of the major relatively non-toxic organic isothiocyanates, which are considered to be the anti-carcinogenic chemicals responsible for the cancer-preventative activities in cruciferous vegetables. Sulforaphane, the most abundant isothiocyanate in the majority of crucifers, is a promising breast cancer protective agent. It has already been shown to reduce the formation of chemically induced mammary tumors in rats. Moreover, it also inhibits the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Recent studies indicate that one of the targets of sulforaphane may be microtubules, the dynamic tube-like protein fibers in living cells that are responsible for proper cell division and mitosis. We have discovered that sulforaphane blocks cell cycle progression at mitosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a manner similar to that of more powerful anti-mitotic anticancer drugs, such as vinblastine and taxol. Also, we found that the biochemical mechanism of action on the microtubules in mitotic spindles is similar to that of vinblastine and taxol. Importantly, these actions occur at levels close to those achieved in the human diet. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The goal of this project is to further test the activity of sulforaphane on breast cancer cells. Our thinking is that by combining sulforaphane with more powerful anticancer chemotherapeutic agents, it may be possible to simultaneously obtain good drug efficacy and reduced toxicity. Our project goals can be summarized in the following questions to be addressed:
 
 
 
 (1) How does sulforaphane work against microtubules mechanistically? Does sulforaphane affect the structure and reduce dynamics of microtubules made of pure tubulin outside living cells?
 
 
 
 (2) Does sulforaphane inhibit the growth and progression through the cell cycle of normal human mammary epithelial cells and/or cause cell death at concentrations effective in breast cancer cells?
 
 
 
 (3) Does sulforaphane have any potential to be used with other more powerful and more toxic anticancer drugs in combination therapy to decrease harmful side effects?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 To determine whether sulforaphane affects normal cells we will use human mammary epithelial cells that are commonly used in our laboratory. Cultured breast cancer cells will also be used for the experiments with drug combinations (sulforaphane and docetaxel) to assess the level of cancer cell growth inhibition and cell death.