Epithalon inhibits tumor growth and expression of HER-2/neu oncogene in breast tumors in transgenic mice characterized by accelerated aging.

Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine2002PMID: 12428286

Animal StudyEpitalon

Plain Language Summary

Epitalon markedly inhibited breast tumor growth in cancer-prone transgenic mice, reducing maximum tumor size by 33%. The peptide's anti-tumor effect was associated with a 3.7-fold decrease in HER-2/neu cancer gene expression in tumors, providing a molecular explanation for its ability to slow breast cancer progression.

Abstract

Female transgenic FVB mice carrying breast cancer gene HER-2/neu were monthly injected with Vilon or Epithalon (1 microgram subcutaneously for 5 consecutive days) starting from the 2nd month of life. Epithalon markedly inhibited neoplasm development: the maximum size of breast adenocarcinomas was 33% lower than in the control (p < 0.05). The intensity of HER-2/neu mRNA expression in breast tumors of Epithalon-treated mice was 3.7 times lower than in control animals. These results indicate that Epithalon inhibits breast tumor development in transgenic mice, which is probably related to suppression of HER-2/neu expression.

Authors

Anisimov, V N; Khavinsov, V Kh; Alimova, I N; Provintsiali, M; Manchini, R; Francheski, K