Inhibitory Effect of a Natural Anti-Cancer Formula - A Specific Formulation of Nutrients Containing Lysine, Proline, Ascorbic Acid and Epigallocatechin Gallate on the Matrix Metalloproteinases Activities and Invasion of Human Fibrosarcoma HT-1080 Cells

MW Roomi, V Ivanov, SP Netke, M Rath and A Niedzwiecki

FASEB Journal (2003) 8452

Cancer turns deadly when it invades and metastasize to other parts of the body. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays a crucial role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis due to their ability to digest basement membrane and ECM components.

We have been interested in natural products that inhibit MMPs activities. A natural anti-cancer formula, a specific mixture of nutrients and natural products containing lysine, proline, ascorbic acid and epigallocatchin gallate was formulated on the basis that such a combination of nutrients would exert a very potent synergistic effect on MMPs activities.

In our current study we have investigated the effect of a natural anti-cancer formula on human fibrosarma HT-1080 cells on the expression of MMPs, matrix invasion potential and cell proliferation/cytotoxicity. MMP expression was studied by zymography, invasion through Matrigel and proliferation/cytotoxicity by MTT assay. A natural anti-cancer formula inhibited the expression of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 in a dose dependent manner. The expression of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 was significantly inhibited with a concentration 100 ug/ml of a natural anti-cancer formula and virtually undetectable with a concentration of 1000 ug/ml. Invasion of HT-1080 cells through Matrigel was inhibited by 90%, 50%, 30% and 100% at 10, 100, 200 and 1000 ug/ml respectively. Interestingly a natural anti-cancer formula was not toxic to HT-1080 cells at 100 ug/ml.

However, it exhibited slight toxicity at 500 and 1000 ug/ml. In conclusion, a natural anti-cancer formula is considered to be the agent with the most potential antimetastasis activity because it inhibits invasion and MMPs activities.