Hs 578T

LAF Inhibited the Migration and Invasion of TNBC Cells by Inhibition of EMT Features

Migration and invasion are hallmarks of malignant tumors, with EMT serving as a crucial early stage in the malignant transformation of tumor cells. This process facilitates the detachment of tumor cells from the primary tissue and their entry into the circulatory system. Drugs that target the EMT process could potentially inhibit the systematic metastasis of carcinomas, thereby prolonging patient survival.

Lappaol F (LAF), a lignan extracted from Fructus Arctii, has a wide spectrum of anti-tumor effects, including inhibition of Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell growth. Effects of LAF on the migration and invasion capabilities of TNBC cells were assessed via wound healing assay and Transwell assay after 24 h, respectively. The wound healing assay (Fig. 1A-D) demonstrated that incubation with 25 or 50 μM LAF for 24 h significantly inhibited wound healing in both cell lines. Concurrently, the Transwell assay (Fig. 1E-G) indicated that the addition of 10, 25, or 50 μM LAF markedly reduced the number of tumor cells in the lower chamber. The results suggested that LAF directly prevents the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and Hs-578T cells.

Fig. 1. Effects of LAF on the migration and invasion of TNBC cells (Meng, Qiqi, et al. 2025).

TNBC Cells Response to NCT-503 Treatment

This study aimed to investigate the impact of de novo serine biosynthetic pathway (SSP) inhibition, specifically targeting phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) with NCT-503, on three TNBC cell lines: MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and Hs 578T.

The cytotoxicity potential of NCT-503 on the three TNBC cell lines was evaluated using the MTT assay. A 48h exposure design was utilized, with the compound tested across a concentration range of 0.48 to 250 μM. The NCT-503 treatment presented antiproliferative effects, expressed in a dose-dependent manner on all three TNBC cell lines (Fig. 2A). Both the IC₂₀ and IC₅₀ doses were used to evaluate the morphological changes induced by the NCT-503 treatment in the TNBC cell lines (Fig. 2B). Proteins significantly modified after NCT-503 treatment were determined using univariate analysis by comparing the protein abundance levels of treated samples to their respective controls (p ≤ 0.05, |FC| ≥ 1.2) (Fig. 2C).

Fig. 2. In vitro evaluation of NCT-503 antiproliferative effect against TNBC cell panel (Pralea, Ioana-Ecaterina, et al. 2024).