In vitro attenuation of classic metastatic melanoma‑related features by highly diluted natural complexes: Molecular and functional analyses

Abstract

Metastasis is responsible for the majority of deaths among patients with malignant melanoma. Despite recent advances, the majority of current and modern therapies are ineffective and/or financially unfeasible. Thus, in this study, we investigated two low-cost highly-diluted natural complexes (HDNCs) that have been shown to be effective against malignant melanoma in a murine model in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms through which these HDNCs directly affect melanoma cells, either alone or in an artificial tumor microenvironment, suppressing the metastatic phenotype, thus explaining previous in vivo effects. For this purpose, HDNC in vitro treatments of B16-F10 melanoma cells, alone or in co-culture with Balb/3T3 fibroblasts, were carried out. Molecular biology techniques and standard functional assays were used to assess the changes in molecule expression and in cell behaviors related to the metastatic phenotype. Melanoma progression features were found to be regulated by HDNCs. Molecules related to cell adhesion (N-cadherin, β1-integrin and CD44), and migration, extracellular matrix remodeling and angiogenesis were modulated. The cell migratory, invasive and clonogenic capacities were reduced by the HDNCs. No loss of cell proliferation or viability were observed. On the whole, the findings of this study indicate that HDNCs directly reprogram, molecularly and functionally, melanoma cells in vitro, modulating their metastatic phenotype. Such findings are likely to be responsible for the attenuation of tumor growth and lung colonization previously observed in vivo.

Untitled

“…Further, it would increase the possibility of replacing some toxic drugs in modern medicine with their cheap non-toxic potentized forms. It may even support and widen the scope of the emerging strategy to find safer and more effective integrative treatments for specific cancers (Gonçalves et al, 2019;Bhattacharya and Zhang, 2015;Bell et al, 2014).…”

Homeopathy in Experimental Cancer Models: A Systematic Review

“…In addition, we should observe that Oliveira et al recently reproduced the same effects obtained by Andrade et al 23 in an in vitro model, adding a mechanistic molecular explanation to the observed effects in single B16-F10 cell cultures. 31 In their study, Şeker et al 32 sought to identify continuity between the effect of taxanes as used in conventional treatment for breast cancer and the same drugs in high dilution.…”

Unexpected Results with New Homeopathic Complexes: A Review

“…Cancer-associated fibroblasts are involved in all the processes leading to physiological changes that allow cancer cells to become malignant, such as the production of extracellular matrix molecules and its remodeling, providing survival signals, and promoting cancer cell invasion and proliferation. Gonçalves and Potrich [11] used molecular biology techniques and standard functional assays to assess the changes related to the metastatic phenotype. The findings of this study indicate that these products reprogram, molecularly and functionally, melanoma cells in vitro, modulating their metastatic phenotype [11].…”

“…Gonçalves and Potrich [11] used molecular biology techniques and standard functional assays to assess the changes related to the metastatic phenotype. The findings of this study indicate that these products reprogram, molecularly and functionally, melanoma cells in vitro, modulating their metastatic phenotype [11]. Guimaraes et al [12] described the results of an experimental laboratory validation of the potential of peritoneal macrophages, challenged with a complex homeopathic medication (CHM/M8), to stimulate the immune effectiveness of mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes.…”