The Effects of 13‐cis Retinoic Acid on Squamous Cell Carcinoma Proliferation and Adhesion to Extracellular Matrix Proteins

Abstract

To understand the role of retinoids in chemoprevention, the authors examined the effects of 13-cis retinoic acid (cRA) on squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins. The antiproliferative effects of cRA were first seen on day 11 (66% inhibition) and progressed through day 19 (96% inhibition). Using an adhesion assay, the authors then investigated the effects of cRA and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) on cellular adhesion to purified type IV collagen, fibronectin, and laminin matrices. Cells treated for 4 days with TGF-beta1 increased adhesion by 15% to 29%, and cells treated with cRA increased adhesion by 19% to 39%. However, the use of cRA alone resulted in a decrease in adhesion when tumor cells were treated for 7 days (20% to 32%) and 15 days (25% to 40%). The authors also discuss how cRA acts as a differentiating agent on squamous cell carcinoma.

13‑cis‑retinoic acid inhibits the self‑renewal, migration, invasion and adhesion of cholangiocarcinoma cells

“…At a concentration of 1.25 µM, which exerted only minimal cytotoxicity, 13CRA inhibited >50% of cell invasion and adhesion. Previous studies have also reported that 13CRA inhibits the adhesion of squamous cell carcinoma and reduces the invasion of colon cancer cells; at 1 µM, 13CRA was shown to exert ~50% inhibition (7,42). Previous studies have revealed that 13CRA inhibits the invasion of colon cancer by suppressing the expression of MMP-7 and COX-2 (7,43).…”