α-Cyperone affects the development and chemosensitivity of breast cancer by modulating TRIM24.

Breast cancer (BC) refers to a malignant neoplasm that takes place in the epithelial tissue of the breast. α-Cyperone (α-CYP) is one of the principal active components of Cyperus rotundus. However, research on the role of α-CYP in the development of BC is still lacking. This study investigates the effect and underlying mechanism of α-CYP in the progression of BC. Our findings revealed that both low-dose and high-dose α-CYP inhibited the colony formation ability of MCF-7 and BT474 cells, accompanied by the decrease in Ki67 expression and the obstruction of the cell cycle. Moreover, α-CYP treatment increased the activity of caspase-3, which leads to an increase in apoptosis. Moreover, the combination of α-CYP and cisplatin (DDP) remarkably suppressed cell viability and further facilitated apoptosis, indicating that α-CYP could enhance the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic agents in BC cells. Further, α-CYP treatment decreased TRIM24 expression through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Notably, α-CYP counteracted the robust proliferation of BC cells triggered by TRIM24 overexpression. Taken together, this study confirmed that α-CYP is an effective anticancer component for BC treatment. α-CYP inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of BC cells via the modulation of TRIM24.