Lipoic acid decreases breast cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting IGF-1R via furin downregulation

The Antioxidant and HDAC-Inhibitor α-Lipoic Acid Is Synergistic with Exemestane in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Cells

Anti-estrogenic therapy is established in the management of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. However, to overcome resistance and improve therapeutic outcome, novel strategies are needed such as targeting widely recognized aberrant epigenetics. The study aims to investigate the combination of the aromatase inhibitor exemestane and the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor and antioxidant α-lipoic acid in ER-positive breast cancer cells. First, the enantiomers and the racemic mixture of α-lipoic acid, and rac-dihydro-lipoic acid were investigated for HDAC inhibition. We found HDAC inhibitory activity in the 1-3-digit micromolar range with a preference for HDAC6. Rac-dihydro-lipoic acid is slightly more potent than rac-α-lipoic acid. The antiproliferative IC50 value of α-lipoic acid is in the 3-digit micromolar range. Notably, the combination of exemestane and α-lipoic acid resulted in synergistic behavior under various incubation times (24 h to 10 d) and readouts (MTT, live-cell fluorescence microscopy, caspase activation) analyzed by the Chou-Talalay method. α-lipoic acid increases mitochondrial fusion and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins p21, APAF-1, BIM, FOXO1, and decreases expression of anti-apoptotic proteins survivin, BCL-2, and c-myc. In conclusion, combining exemestane with α-lipoic acid is a promising novel treatment option for ER-positive breast cancer.

Lipoic acid alters the microRNA signature in breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer, the deadliest disease affecting women globally, exhibits heterogeneity with distinct molecular subtypes. Despite advances in cancer therapy, the persistence of high mortality rates due to chemotherapy resistance remains a major challenge. Lipoic acid (LA), a natural antioxidant, has proven potent anticancer properties. Yet, the impact of LA on microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in breast cancer remains unexplored.

AIM

The aim of this study was to unravel the effect of LA on miRNA expression profiles in different breast cancer cell lines.

METHODS

The MiRCURY LNA miRNA miRNome qPCR Panel was used to compare the miRNA signature in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells treated or not with LA.

RESULTS

We identified six upregulated and six downregulated miRNAs in LA-treated MDA-MB-231 cells and 14 upregulated and four downregulated miRNAs in LA-treated MCF-7 cells compared to control cells. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis revealed that the deregulated miRNAs could alter different signaling cascades including FoxO, P53 and Hippo pathways.

CONCLUSION

The outcome of this study provides further insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic benefit of LA. This in turn could assist the amelioration of LA-based anticancer therapies.

Role of Lipoic Acid in Testosterone Production in Males

Testosterone extends its impact beyond sexual function, playing a crucial role in shaping overall male health, including aspects such as muscle mass, bone density, mood regulation, and energy levels. Lipoic acid, a cofactor for specific enzymes, particularly dehydrogenases involved in cellular energy production, has been studied for its impact on testosterone. This comprehensive review systematically scoured PubMed and Scopus databases using the keywords "lipoic acid" and "testosterone." It encompassed all relevant English papers published from November 1971 to the present, including full texts and abstracts, along with research elucidating the biochemical mechanisms linking lipoic acid to testosterone. In summary, lipoic acid consistently restores testosterone levels, offering promise as an intervention in testicular health, especially in cases of testicular toxicity caused by various harmful agents. Its mechanisms encompass nitric oxide enhancement, fortification of testicular antioxidants, elevation of luteinizing hormone, enhancement of steroidogenesis, and the maintenance of energy production. These mechanisms underscore the therapeutic potential of lipoic acid for testicular health.

α-lipoic acid modulates prostate cancer cell growth and bone cell differentiation

Prostate cancer (PCa) progression leads to bone modulation in approximately 70% of affected men. A nutraceutical, namely, α-lipoic acid (α-LA), is known for its potent anti-cancer properties towards various cancers and has been implicated in treating and promoting bone health. Our study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism behind the role of α-LA as therapeutics in preventing PCa and its associated bone modulation. Notably, α-LA treatment significantly reduced the cell viability, migration, and invasion of PCa cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, α-LA supplementation dramatically increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and HIF-1α expression, which started the downstream molecular cascade and activated JNK/caspase-3 signaling pathway. Flow cytometry data revealed the arrest of the cell cycle in the S-phase, which has led to apoptosis of PCa cells. Furthermore, the results of ALP (Alkaline phosphatase) and TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) staining signifies that α-LA supplementation diminished the PCa-mediated differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively, in the MC3T3-E1 and bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) cells. In summary, α-LA supplementation enhanced cellular apoptosis via increased ROS levels, HIF-1α expression, and JNK/caspase-3 signaling pathway in advanced human PCa cell lines. Also, the treatment of α-LA improved bone health by reducing PCa-mediated bone cell modulation.

Convergent dysbiosis of upper aerodigestive microbiota between patients with esophageal and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

The bidirectional association between primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) suggests common risk factors and oncogenic molecular processes but it is unclear whether these two cancers display similar patterns of dysbiosis in their upper aerodigestive microbiota (UADM). We conducted a case-control study to characterize the microbial communities in esophageal lavage samples from 49 ESCC patients and oral rinse samples from 91 OSCC patients using 16S rRNA V3-V4 amplicon sequencing. Compared with their respective non-SCC controls from the same anatomical sites, 32 and 45 discriminative bacterial genera were detected in ESCC and OSCC patients, respectively. Interestingly, 20 of them were commonly enriched or depleted in both types of cancer, suggesting a convergent niche adaptation of upper aerodigestive SCC-associated bacteria that may play important roles in the pathogenesis of malignancies. Notably, Fusobacterium, Selenomonas, Peptoanaerobacter and Peptostreptococcus were enriched in both ESCC and OSCC, whereas Streptococcus and Granulicatelia were commonly depleted. We further identified Fusobacterium nucleatum as the most abundant species enriched in the upper aerodigestive SCC microenvironment, and the higher relative abundances of Selenomonas danae and Treponema maroon were positively correlated with smoking. In addition, predicted functional analysis revealed several depleted (eg, lipoic acid and pyruvate metabolism) and enriched (eg, RNA polymerase and nucleotide excision repair) pathways common to both cancers. Our findings reveal a convergent dysbiosis in the UADM between patients with ESCC and OSCC, suggesting a shared niche adaptation of host-microbiota interactions in the pathogenesis of upper aerodigestive tract malignancies.

LINC00092 Modulates Oxidative Stress and Glycolysis of Breast Cancer Cells via Pyruvate Carboxylase-Mediated AKT/mTOR Pathway

Background

The discovery of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) offers new options for cancer-targeted therapy. This study is aimed at exploring the regulatory function of LINC00092 on breast cancer (BC) oxidative stress and glycolysis, along with internal mechanism concerning pyruvate carboxylase (PC).

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was used to explore LINC00092 (or friend leukemia virus integration 1 (FLI1)) expression on BC progression, as well as oxidative stress and glycolysis in BC. After LINC00092 overexpression or silence, BC cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, oxidative stress, glycolysis, and AKT/mTOR pathway were detected. Following 2-DG, SC79, or MK2206 treatment, effects of LINC00092 on BC cells were measured. Moreover, regulatory activity of LINC00092 in PC expression was analyzed. Whether PC participated in the modulation of LINC00092 on BC cell functions was explored.

Results

LINC00092 was lowly expressed in BC and negatively related to BC progression. FLI1 bound to LINC00092 promoter to positively modulate LINC00092. LINC00092 overexpression inhibited BC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, oxidative stress, glycolysis, and AKT/mTOR pathway and likewise suppressed BC growth in vivo. Silence of LINC00092 had opposite influences. 2-DG partially reversed the LINC00092 silence-resulted increase of BC cell proliferation. SC79 alleviated the function of LINC00092 overexpression on BC cell functions. MK2206 had the contrary influence of SC79. Besides, LINC00092 bound to PC to modulate ubiquitination degradation of PC protein. PC took part in the influences of LINC00092 on BC cell functions.

Conclusions

LINC0092 modulates oxidative stress and glycolysis of BC cells via the PC-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway, which is possibly a target for BC diagnosis and therapy.

Drug Repositioning and Subgroup Discovery for Precision Medicine Implementation in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Simple Summary

The heterogeneity of complicated diseases like cancer negatively affects patients’ responses to treatment. Finding homogeneous subgroups of patients within the cancer population and finding the appropriate treatment for each subgroup will improve patients’ survival. In this study, we focus on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), where approximately 80% of patients do not entirely respond to chemotherapy. Our aim is to find subgroups of TNBC patients and identify drugs that have the potential to tailor treatments for each group through drug repositioning. After applying our method to TNBC, we found that different targeted mechanisms were suggested for different groups of patients. Our findings could help the research community to gain a better understanding of different subgroups within the TNBC population and can help the drugs to be repurposed with explainable results regarding the targeted mechanism.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of death among female patients with cancer. Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have the lowest survival rate. TNBC has substantial heterogeneity within the BC population. This study utilized our novel patient stratification and drug repositioning method to find subgroups of BC patients that share common genetic profiles and that may respond similarly to the recommended drugs. After further examination of the discovered patient subgroups, we identified five homogeneous druggable TNBC subgroups. A drug repositioning algorithm was then applied to find the drugs with a high potential for each subgroup. Most of the top drugs for these subgroups were chemotherapy used for various types of cancer, including BC. After analyzing the biological mechanisms targeted by these drugs, ferroptosis was the common cell death mechanism induced by the top drugs in the subgroups with neoplasm subdivision and race as clinical variables. In contrast, the antioxidative effect on cancer cells was the common targeted mechanism in the subgroup of patients with an age less than 50. Literature reviews were used to validate our findings, which could provide invaluable insights to streamline the drug repositioning process and could be further studied in a wet lab setting and in clinical trials.

The effects of alprostadil combined with α-lipoic acid in the treatment of senile diabetic nephropathy

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of alprostadil combined with α-Lipoic acid (α-LA) in the treatment of senile diabetic nephropathy (SDN) and the combination's effect on the serum chemerin and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) expressions.

METHODS

Seventy-six patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) admitted to our hospital from March 2018 to October 2019 were recruited as the research cohort. Among them, 36 patients who were administered alprostadil monotherapy were placed in the control group (CG), and the remaining 40 patients administered α-LA in addition to the alprostadil were placed in the research group (RG). The treatment effectiveness rate, the incidence of adverse reactions, and the changes in the renal function indexes (BUN, SCr, UAER) and the blood glucose indexes (FPG, 2hPG) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The total effective rate in the RG was significantly higher than the total effective rate in the CG (P < 0.05). The renal function and blood glucose indexes dropped significantly after the treatment (P < 0.001). The chemerin and NGAL levels were significantly reduced in both groups after the treatment (P < 0.05), and the chemerin and NGAL expressions in the RG were significantly lower than they were in the CG (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Alprostadil combined with α-LA is better than alprostadil monotherapy in the treatment of DN because it can improve the effectiveness rate, reduce the blood glucose, and improve the renal function while effectively reducing patients' serum chemerin and NGAL levels.

Metabolic Strategies for Inhibiting Cancer Development

The tumor microenvironment is a complex mix of cancerous and noncancerous cells (especially immune cells and fibroblasts) with distinct metabolisms. These cells interact with each other and are influenced by the metabolic disorders of the host. In this review, we discuss how metabolic pathways that sustain biosynthesis in cancer cells could be targeted to increase the effectiveness of cancer therapies by limiting the nutrient uptake of the cell, inactivating metabolic enzymes (key regulatory ones or those linked to cell cycle progression), and inhibiting ATP production to induce cell death. Furthermore, we describe how the microenvironment could be targeted to activate the immune response by redirecting nutrients toward cytotoxic immune cells or inhibiting the release of waste products by cancer cells that stimulate immunosuppressive cells. We also examine metabolic disorders in the host that could be targeted to inhibit cancer development. To create future personalized therapies for targeting each cancer tumor, novel techniques must be developed, such as new tracers for positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan and immunohistochemical markers to characterize the metabolic phenotype of cancer cells and their microenvironment. Pending personalized strategies that specifically target all metabolic components of cancer development in a patient, simple metabolic interventions could be tested in clinical trials in combination with standard cancer therapies, such as short cycles of fasting or the administration of sodium citrate or weakly toxic compounds (such as curcumin, metformin, lipoic acid) that target autophagy and biosynthetic or signaling pathways.

Cisplatin effect on digital cytomorphometric and bioinformatic tumor cell characteristics in rat ovarian cancer model-a preliminary study

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common diseases of the female reproductive system. The aim of this study was the investigation of the antitumor cisplatin effect on ascitic fluid tumor cells in the ovarian cancer experimental model by digital cytomorphometry and cell bioinformatic analysis.

METHODS

Female Wistar rats were inoculated by ovarian cancer strain. After ovarian cancer transplantation rats were divided into two groups: control group-without cisplatin treatment, the experimental group-under cisplatin treatment. The ascitic fluid was taken on the 9-th day after tumor cell inoculation. Digital cytomorphometric and cytobioinformatic analysis were used to study ascitic fluid cancer cell morphofunctional changes under cisplatin treatment.

RESULTS

Digital cytomorphometric characteristics of rat ovarian cancer ascitic cells were obtained. Tumor cells were classified into four groups according to their geometric size: small, medium, large, "gigantic". The algorithm and the computer program based on tumor cell morphometric characteristics were created to calculate such cell bioinformatic characteristic as information redundancy coefficient R. Three parameters were determined as the criteria of cisplatin effect on cancer cells: cell number, nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, R-value.

CONCLUSIONS

Data obtained suggest that cisplatin reduces the total cell number, the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and R-value thus indicates a decrease in cellular resistance and adaptive potential. The digital cytomorphometry and bioinformatics could be recommended as a testing system in the experimental or clinical study.

Inhibition of proliferation-linked signaling cascades with atractylenolide I reduces myofibroblastic phenotype and renal fibrosis

Renal fibrosis is a frequent axis contributing to the occurrence of end-stage nephropathy. Previously, it has been reported that atractylenolide Ⅰ (ATL-1), a natural compound extracted from Atractylodes macrocephala, has anti-cancer and antioxidant effects. However, the renal anti-fibrotic effects of action remain unclear. In this study, the anti-fibrotic effects of ATL-1 were examined in fibroblasts, tubular epithelial cells (TECs) triggered by TGF-β1 in vitro, and using a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model in vivo. We found that ATL-1 represses the myofibroblastic phenotype and fibrosis development in UUO kidneys by targeting the fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation (FMD), as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The anti-fibrotic effects of ATL-1 were associated with reduced cell growth in the interstitium and tubules, leading to suppression of the proliferation-linked cascades activity consisting of JAK2/STAT3, PI3K/Akt, p38 MAPK, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Besides, ATL-1 treatment repressed TGF-β1-triggered FMD and the myofibroblastic phenotype in fibroblasts by antagonizing the activation of proliferation-linked cascades. Likewise, TGF-β1-triggered excessive activation of the proliferation-linked signaling in TECs triggered EMT. The myofibroblastic phenotype was repressed by ATL-1. The anti-fibrotic and anti-proliferative effects of ATL-1 were linked to the inactivation of Smad2/3 signaling, partially reversing FMD, as well as EMT and the repression of the myofibroblastic phenotype. Thus, the inhibition of myofibroblastic phenotype and fibrosis development in vivo and in vitro through proliferation-linked cascades of ATL-1 makes it a prospective therapeutic bio-agent to prevent renal fibrosis.

The key role of Warburg effect in SARS-CoV-2 replication and associated inflammatory response

Current mortality due to the Covid-19 pandemic (approximately 1.2 million by November 2020) demonstrates the lack of an effective treatment. As replication of many viruses - including MERS-CoV - is supported by enhanced aerobic glycolysis, we hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 replication in host cells (especially airway cells) is reliant upon altered glucose metabolism. This metabolism is similar to the Warburg effect well studied in cancer. Counteracting two main pathways (PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling) sustaining aerobic glycolysis inhibits MERS-CoV replication and thus, very likely that of SARS-CoV-2, which shares many similarities with MERS-CoV. The Warburg effect appears to be involved in several steps of COVID-19 infection. Once induced by hypoxia, the Warburg effect becomes active in lung endothelial cells, particularly in the presence of atherosclerosis, thereby promoting vasoconstriction and micro thrombosis. Aerobic glycolysis also supports activation of pro-inflammatory cells such as neutrophils and M1 macrophages. As the anti-inflammatory response and reparative process is performed by M2 macrophages reliant on oxidative metabolism, we speculated that the switch to oxidative metabolism in M2 macrophages would not occur at the appropriate time due to an uncontrolled pro-inflammatory cascade. Aging, mitochondrial senescence and enzyme dysfunction, AMPK downregulation and p53 inactivation could all play a role in this key biochemical event. Understanding the role of the Warburg effect in COVID-19 can be essential to developing molecules reducing infectivity, arresting endothelial cells activation and the pro-inflammatory cascade.

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Enhanced aerobic glycolysis supports replication of many viruses including MERS-CoV.

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PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK inhibitors arrest MERS-CoV replication.

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This metabolism likely sustains SARS-CoV-2 replication in host cells, in particular airway cells .

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The Warburg effect also supports activation of endothelial cells and pro-inflammatory cells .

The Alpha-Lipoic Acid Improves Survival and Prevents Irinotecan-Induced Inflammation and Intestinal Dysmotility in Mice

Irinotecan, an anticancer drug, induces diarrhea and intestinal inflammation, resulting in an increase in the cost of care and in treatment delays. In this study, we investigated whether alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) could improve irinotecan-mediated intestinal inflammation, diarrhea and dysmotility. Intestinal mucositis was induced by irinotecan injection (75 mg/kg, i.p., for 4 days) in Swiss mice. α-LA (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, gavage) was administered daily 1 h before the injection of irinotecan. Duodenum tissues were obtained for inflammation and proliferation analysis. The outcomes: diarrhea, intestinal dysmotility, weight body loss and survival were evaluated. Compared with the control condition, irinotecan diminished (p < 0.05) intestinal villus height, caused a loss of crypt integrity and intense inflammatory cell infiltration, increased myeloperoxidase (MPO), IL-6 and IL-1β levels and decreased reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in duodenum segments and increased gastric retention and decreased liquid retention in the medial intestinal segment, resulting in increased intestinal transit, severe diarrhea and reduced survival (approximately 72%). Furthermore, α-LA (200 mg/kg) pretreatment ameliorated (p < 0.05) these irinotecan-induced effects. Our findings show that α-LA reduced irinotecan-induced inflammation, intestinal dysmotility and diarrhea, resulting in improved survival. α-LA may be a useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of gut dysmotility in patients with intestinal mucositis associated with irinotecan treatment.

Alpha-lipoic acid may protect patients with diabetes against COVID-19 infection

COVID-19 pandemic is spreading rapidly worldwide, and drug selection can affect the morbidity and mortality of the disease positively or negatively. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant and reduces oxidative stress and inhibits activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB). ALA reduces ADAM17 activity and ACE2 upregulation. ALA is known to have antiviral effects against some viruses. ALA may show antiviral effect by reducing NF-kB activation and alleviating redox reactions. ALA increases the intracellular glutathione strengthens the human host defense. ALA activates ATP dependent K+ channels (Na+, K+-ATPase). Increased K+ in the cell raises the intracellular pH. As the intracellular pH increases, the entry of the virus into the cell decreases. ALA can increase human host defense against SARS-CoV-2 by increasing intracellular pH. ALA treatment increases antioxidant levels and reduces oxidative stress. Thus, ALA may strengthen the human host defense against SARS-CoV-2 and can play a vital role in the treatment of patients with critically ill COVID-19. It can prevent cell damage by decreasing lactate production in patients with COVID-19. Using ALA with insulin in patients with diabetes can show a synergistic effect against SARS-CoV-2. We think ALA treatment will be beneficial against COVID-19 in patients with diabetes.

Recent advances and future directions in anti-tumor activity of cryptotanshinone: A mechanistic review

In respect to the enhanced incidence rate of cancer worldwide, studies have focused on cancer therapy using novel strategies. Chemotherapy is a common strategy in cancer therapy, but its adverse effects and chemoresistance have limited its efficacy. So, attempts have been directed towards minimally invasive cancer therapy using plant derived-natural compounds. Cryptotanshinone (CT) is a component of salvia miltiorrihiza Bunge, well-known as Danshen and has a variety of therapeutic and biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and neuroprotective. Recently, studies have focused on anti-tumor activity of CT against different cancers. Notably, this herbal compound is efficient in cancer therapy by targeting various molecular signaling pathways. In the present review, we mechanistically describe the anti-tumor activity of CT with an emphasis on molecular signaling pathways. Then, we evaluate the potential of CT in cancer immunotherapy and enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy by sensitizing cancer cells into anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents, and elevating accumulation of anti-tumor drugs in cancer cells. Finally, we mention strategies to enhance the anti-tumor activity of CT, for instance, using nanoparticles to provide targeted drug delivery.

An Overview of the Antioxidant Effects of Ascorbic Acid and Alpha Lipoic Acid (in Liposomal Forms) as Adjuvant in Cancer Treatment

Antioxidants are known to minimize oxidative stress by interacting with free radicals produced as a result of cell aerobic reactions. Oxidative stress has long been linked to many diseases, especially tumours. Therefore, antioxidants play a crucial role in the prevention or management of free radical-related diseases. However, most of these antioxidants have anticancer effects only if taken in large doses. Others show inadequate bioavailability due to their instability in the blood or having a hydrophilic nature that limits their permeation through the cell membrane. Therefore, entrapping antioxidants in liposomes may overcome these drawbacks as liposomes have the capability to accommodate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds with a considerable stability. Additionally, liposomes have the capability to accumulate at the cancer tissue passively, due to their small sizes, with enhanced drug delivery. Additionally, liposomes can be engineered with targeting moieties to increase the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to specific tumour cells with decreased accumulation in healthy tissues. Therefore, combined use of liposomes and antioxidants, with or without chemotherapeutic agents, is an attractive strategy to combat varies tumours. This mini review focuses on the liposomal delivery of selected antioxidants, namely ascorbic acid (AA) and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). The contribution of these nanocarriers in enhancing the antioxidant effect of AA and ALA and consequently their anticancer potentials will be demonstrated.

Lipoic acid-induced oxidative stress abrogates IGF-1R maturation by inhibiting the CREB/furin axis in breast cancer cell lines

The beneficial effects of lipoic acid (LA) in cancer treatment have been well documented in the last decade. Indeed, LA exerts crucial antiproliferative effects by reducing breast cancer cell viability, cell cycle progression and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the mechanisms of action (MOA) underlying these antiproliferative effects remain to be elucidated. Recently, we demonstrated that LA decreases breast cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting IGF-1R maturation via the downregulation of the proprotein convertase furin. The aim of the present study was to investigate the MOA by which LA inhibits furin expression in estrogen receptor α (ERα) (+) and (-) breast cancer cell lines. We unveil that LA exerts a pro-oxidant effect on these cell lines, the resulting reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated being responsible for the reduction in the expression of the major (CREB) protein. This transcription factor is overexpressed in many types of cancers and regulates the expression of furin in breast cancer cells independently of ERα, as evidenced herein by the inhibition of furin expression following CREB silencing. Consequently, our findings expose for the first time the complete MOA of LA via the CREB/furin axis leading to inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation.