A lipid-modified estrogen derivative that treats breast cancer independent of estrogen receptor expression through simultaneous induction of autophagy and apoptosis.

ABSTRACT: It is a challenge to develop a universal single drug that can treat breast cancer at single- or multiple-stage complications, yet remains nontoxic to normal cells. The challenge is even greater when breast cancer-specific, estrogen-based drugs are being developed that cannot act against multistaged breast cancer complications owing to the cells differential estrogen receptor (ER) expression status and their possession of drug-resistant and metastatic phenotypes. We report here the development of a first cationic lipid-conjugated estrogenic derivative (ESC8) that kills breast cancer cells independent of their ER expression status. This ESC8 molecule apparently is nontoxic to normal breast epithelial cells, as well as to other noncancer cells. ESC8 induces apoptosis through an intrinsic path

SUBMITTER: Sinha S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5568550 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature