Inhibitory effects of Berberine on the migratory and invasive abilities of cancer cells

Abstract

The Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the complex program that involve in oncogenic pathways regulating in migratory and invasion of cancer cells, angiogenesis, and metastasis. As such, targeting the critical EMT inducers or EMT pathways represents an important therapeutic strategy for preventing or treating cancer cells metastasis. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid traditional herbal medicine with no organ toxicity. The increasing reports indicated that berberine played anti-angiogenesis, anti-invasion, and anti-metastasis roles in different human cancer cells. However, there is still unknown about the inhibitory effect of berberine on invasive behavior and EMT of prostate cancer cells. Our study shows for the first time to indicate important role played by berberine, in repressing the metastatic process and the invasive ability of prostate cancer cells. We showed that the migratory and invasive abilities of prostate cancer cells were inhibited by berberine through inhibition of TGF-β signaling. Among the TGF-β signaling molecules were inhibited by berberine, high BMP7 and NODAL gene expressions of metastatic prostate cancer tissues were associated with shorter survival of prostate cancer patients and provide potential therapeutic interventions.