Aims
Gigantol is a bibenzyl compound isolated from orchids of the genus Dendrobium. Gigantol has been demonstrated to possess various pharmacologic (including anticancer) effects. Cisplatin (DDP) has been used and studied as the first-line agent for breast cancer (BC) treatment. Often, its efficacy is jeopardized due to intolerance and organ toxicity. We investigated if gigantol could enhance the anticancer effects of DDP in BC cells and its underlying mechanism of action. Main
Methods
The potential pathway of gigantol in BC cells was detected by network-pharmacology and molecular-docking studies. The proliferation and apoptosis of BC cell lines were measured by the MTT assay, colony formation, Hoechst-33342 staining, and flow cytometry. Protein expression was measured by western blotting. Key findings: Gigantol could inhibit proliferation of BC cells and enhance DDP-induced apoptosis. According to the
Significance
Our data might provide new insights into the underlying antitumor effect of gigantol in BC cells. This enhancement effect in the combination of gigantol and DDP may provide many therapeutic benefits in clinical treatment regimens against BC.