Epigenetic Regulation and Inhibition of the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Piperine and Piperlongumine from Pepper Spice

Triple-negative breast cancer represents a difficult-to-treat form of the disease that has a poor prognosis due to the propensity of triple-negative breast cancer cells to metastasize. Although chemotherapy is the treatment of choice, these drugs may cause secondary cancers to develop and also have harmful side effects. In addition, advanced triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body is often resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs and is not affected by hormonal or HER2-targeted therapies. For these reasons, new anticancer drugs that only kill breast cancer cells and suppress the metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer cells are urgently needed. In this regard, certain plant-derived dietary substances are able to kill both drug-sensitive and -resistant cancer cells without harming their healthy counterparts, and have the potential to prevent metastasis. We have discovered that piperine and piperlongumine from pepper spice are able to selectively kill breast cancer cells and interfere with a process known as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition that is central to breast cancer metastasis. Our research will determine how piperine and piperlongumine are able to suppress the metastatic process, providing a sound rationale for the possible future application of piperine and piperlongumine to prevent the development of metastatic disease in women with triple-negative breast cancer. Determine the effects of piperine and piperlongumine on processes that regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition in triple-negative breast cancer cellsA detailed understanding of the targets of piperine and piperlongumine in signaling pathways involved in transforming growth factor ß-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and the impact of piperine and piperlongumine on microRNAs and epigenetic changes that regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition, will provide a rationale for the possible use of these agents to prevent metastatic disease in women with triple-negative breast cancer.