ArticleCancer research2014
Curcumin targets breast cancer stem-like cells with microtentacles that persist in mammospheres and promote reattachment.
Article in Cancer research, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers.
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Who cites it
48 citing papers in PubMed, 93 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Pro-Metastatic Roles of ROS.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Translational drugs targeting cancer stem cells in triple-negative breast cancer.Molecular therapy. Oncology · 2025Review
- Molecular Mechanisms of Dietary Compounds in Cancer Stem Cells from Solid Tumors: Insights into Colorectal, Breast, and Prostate Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Visible light potentiates rapid cell destruction and death by curcumin in vitro.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2024Article
- Endophytic fungi as a potential source of anti-cancer drug.Archives of microbiology · 2024Review
- Review
- Effect of microserum environment stimulation on extraction and biological function of colorectal cancer stem cells.Discover oncology · 2023Article
- Article
- An Image-Based Identification of Aggressive Breast Cancer Circulating Tumor Cell Subtypes.Cancers · 2023Article
- Anticancer potential of alkaloids: a key emphasis to colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine and vincamine.Cancer cell international · 2022Review
- Microtubule disruption reduces metastasis more effectively than primary tumor growth.Breast cancer research : BCR · 2022Article
- Notch-1 signaling promotes reattachment of suspended cancer cells by cdc42-dependent microtentacles formation.Cancer science · 2021Article
- Suspension state regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness of breast tumor cells.Biotechnology letters · 2021Article
- Article
- Review
- Basal-Type Breast Cancer Stem Cells Over-Express Chromosomal Passenger Complex Proteins.Cells · 2020Article
- VCAM1 Promotes Tumor Cell Invasion and Metastasis by Inducing EMT and Transendothelial Migration in Colorectal Cancer.Frontiers in oncology · 2020Article
- Hydroxytyrosol inhibits cancer stem cells and the metastatic capacity of triple-negative breast cancer cell lines by the simultaneous targeting of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, Wnt/β-catenin and TGFβ signaling pathways.European journal of nutrition · 2019Article
- Dissecting the prevention of estrogen-dependent breast carcinogenesis through Nrf2-dependent and independent mechanisms.OncoTargets and therapy · 2019Review
- Evaluation of α-tubulin, detyrosinated α-tubulin, and vimentin in CTCs: identification of the interaction between CTCs and blood cells through cytoskeletal elements.Breast cancer research : BCR · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) and circulating tumor cells (CTC) have related properties associated with distant metastasis, but the mechanisms through which CSCs promote metastasis are unclear. In this study, we report that breast cancer cell lines with more stem-like properties display higher levels of microtentacles (McTN), a type of tubulin-based protrusion of the plasma cell membrane that forms on detached or suspended cells and aid in cell reattachment. We hypothesized that CSCs with large numbers of McTNs would more efficiently attach to distant tissues, promoting metastatic efficiency. The naturally occurring stem-like subpopulation of the human mammary epithelial (HMLE) cell line presents increased McTNs compared with its isogenic non-stem-like subpopulation. This increase was supported by elevated α-tubulin detyrosination and vimentin protein levels and organization. Increased McTNs in stem-like HMLEs promoted a faster initial reattachment of suspended cells that was inhibited by the tubulin-directed drug, colchicine, confirming a functional role for McTNs in stem cell reattachment. Moreover, live-cell confocal microscopy showed that McTNs persist in breast stem cell mammospheres as flexible, motile protrusions on the surface of the mammosphere. Although exposed to the environment, they also function as extensions between adjacent cells along cell-cell junctions. We found that treatment with the breast CSC-targeting compound curcumin rapidly extinguished McTN in breast CSC, preventing reattachment from suspension. Together, our results support a model in which breast CSCs with cytoskeletal alterations that promote McTNs can mediate attachment and metastasis but might be targeted by curcumin as an antimetastatic strategy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.