Cancercellresearch 2025, 12(47), 1009-1020;
https://doi.org/10.54762_ccr2025.46.1009-1020 (registering DOI)
- 29 Mar. 2026
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Compared to Caucasian American women (CAW), African American women (AAW) are more likely to die fro m estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, which may come from their lower vegetable and fruit consumption. Phyto-chemicals such as luteolin (LUT) from broccoli, celery, peppers, and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) from cruciferous vegetables exhibit anti-cancer properties. The present study aimed to investigate whether and how combined LUT and I3C exerts similar synergistic an-ti-breast cancer effects and mechanisms both in AAW and CAW-derived ER+ breast cancer cells. Methods:
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Abstract:
Background/Objectives: Compared to Caucasian American women (CAW), African American women (AAW) are more likely to die fro m estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, which may come from their lower vegetable and fruit consumption. Phyto-chemicals such as luteolin (LUT) from broccoli, celery, peppers, and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) from cruciferous vegetables exhibit anti-cancer properties. The present study aimed to investigate whether and how combined LUT and I3C exerts similar synergistic an-ti-breast cancer effects and mechanisms both in AAW and CAW-derived ER+ breast cancer cells. Methods: ER+ cells from AAW (ZR-75-30 and HCC1500) and CAW (MCF-7 and T-47D) were treated with LUT 30μM, I3C 40μM, I3C 60μM, LUT 30μM + I3C 40μM, or LUT 30μM+ I3C 60μM for 72 hrs or 48 hrs to conduct proliferation assay, cell apoptosis, wound healing, and immunoblotting. Results: The combinations exert similar synergistic an-ti-proliferative effects both in AAW and CAW-derived cells, while the individual chemi-cals at the relevant concentrations did not have significant effects. The combinations also synergistically promoted apoptosis in both groups, which may be mediated by downreg-ulating the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-XL and increasing pro-apoptotic protein BAX. Ad-ditionally, the combinations significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion in both AAW and CAW-derived ER+ breast cancer cells. There is no significant difference of these anti-breast cancer effects of combined LUT and I3C between AAW and CAW-derived cells. Conclusions: Combined LUT and I3C suppresses ER+ breast cancer both for AAW and CAW, indicating that increasing consumption of phytochemical-rich foods may lower the chance of developing ER+ breast cancer, particularly among AAW, although more clinical studies are needed.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Cancer cell Research)
