Alteration of α-tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) expression in human breast epithelial cells during breast cancer development

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women and has an age-specific incidence profile.

Over the last decade, many studies have demonstrated the anticancer activity of α-tocopherol, the main and most active form of natural vitamin E.

α-Tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) was found to be one of the major α-tocopherol binding proteins in human serum and in liver, brain, and prostate tissues.

In this study, we found that reduced TAP expression was significantly correlated with Her2/neu receptor expression, breast cancer stage and nodal stage in paired normal and cancerous breast tissue samples from 93 patients using real-time PCR analysis.

A cell viability assay showed that α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS), a synthetic derivative of α-tocopherol, enhanced the cells' sensitivity to doxorubicin and resulted in a reduction in cell viability in breast cancers.

Taken together, these data suggest that the use of vitamin E or its analogue as a dietary supplement may be beneficial for the treatment of cancer.

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See also:

- Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the first-line treatment with somatostatin combined with melatonin, 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.