Extra-virgin olive oil contains a metabolo-epigenetic inhibitor of cancer stem cells

• Post by: redazione
• 11:05 apr 23, 2018
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A new study  has identified a new group of phytochemicals capable of specifically and potently suppressing the functional traits of Cancer Stem Cells (CSC). The research was led by the group of Metabolism and Cancer of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) – Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) and has been published in the scientific journal Carcinogenesis.

“Targeting tumor-initiating, drug-resistant populations of cancer stem cells (CSC) with phytochemicals is a novel paradigm for cancer prevention and treatment. We herein employed a phenotypic drug discovery approach coupled to mechanism-of-action profiling and target deconvolution to identify phenolic components of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) capable of suppressing the functional traits of CSC in breast cancer (BC). In vitro screening revealed that the secoiridoid decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycone (DOA) could selectively target subpopulations of epithelial-like, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-positive and mesenchymal-like, CD44+CD24−/low CSC. (CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 are breast cancer stem cell markers)

DOA could potently block the formation of multicellular tumorspheres generated from single-founder stem-like cells in a panel of genetically diverse BC models. Pretreatment of BC populations with noncytotoxic doses of DOA dramatically reduced subsequent tumor-forming capacity in vivo. Mice orthotopically injected with CSC-enriched BC-cell populations pretreated with DOA remained tumor-free for several months.”

   Reference Article: Corominas-Faja B, Cuyàs E, Lozano-Sánchez J, Cufí S, Verdura S, Fernández-Arroyo S, Borrás-Linares I, Martin-Castillo B, Martin ÁG, Lupu R, Nonell-Canals A, Sanchez-Martinez M, Micol V, Joven J, Segura-Carretero A, Menendez JA. Extra-virgin olive oil contains a metabolo-epigenetic inhibitor of cancer stem cells.