Furanodiene blocks NF-kB-dependent MMP-9 and VEGF activation and inhibits cellular invasiveness and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Furanodiene is an active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine, Rhizoma Curcumae, commonly used for the treatment of cancer in China. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of furanodiene, we investigated its effects on migration and invasion of human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231and the underlying molecular mechanisms involved. Furanodiene treatment decreases breast cancer cellular invasiveness and MMP-9 and VEGF expression in a NF-kB-dependent manner, irrespective of the ER response. NF-kB is a key mediator of the invasive phenotypic changes inhibited by furanodiene treatment. These findings suggest that furanodiene may inhibit migration and invasion of breast cancer cells through the repression of NF-kB and the consequential repression of MMP-9 and VEGF signaling. This potential anti-metastatic effect of furanodiene may play an important role in the anti-tumor activity of the traditional Chinese medicine, Rhizoma Curcumae.