Effects of the pineal hormone melatonin on the anchorage-independent growth of human breast cancer cells MCF-7 in a clonogenic culture system

Abstract

Only physiological levels of melatonin exert an antiproliferative effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells grown in an anchorage-dependent culture system.

We investigated melatonin's effect on the anchorage-independent growth of MCF-7 cells as well as the dose-response characteristics of this indoleamine under clonogenic culture conditions.

Melatonin's inhibitory effect, with respect to the number and size of colonies formed, exhibit a linear dose-response curve with pharmacological concentrations producing a maximal inhibition while subphysiological levels of melatonin induce minimal inhibition.

These results indicate that cellular attachment may modify the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells towards melatonin.

 

 

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See also:

- About Melatonin;

- Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the first-line treatment with somatostatin combined with melatonisn, retinoids, vitamin D3, and low doses of cyclophosphamide in 20 cases of breast cancer: a preliminary report;

- The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 122 cases of breast cancer;

- Complete objective response to biological therapy of plurifocal breast carcinoma;

- Neuroblastoma: Complete objective response to biological treatment.