E-Cadherin/β-Catenin Complex: A Target for Anticancer and Antimetastasis Plants/Plant-derived Compounds

Nutr Cancer. 2017 Jul;69(5):702-722. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2017.1320415. Epub 2017 May 19.

Abstract

Plants reputed to have cancer-inhibiting potential and putative active components derived from those plants have emerged as an exciting new field in cancer study. Some of these compounds have cancer-inhibiting potential in different clinical staging levels, especially metastasis. A few of them which stabilize cell-cell adhesions are controversial topics. This review article introduces some effective herbal compounds that target E-cadherin/β-catenin protein complex. In this article, at first, we briefly review the structure and function of E-cadherin and β-catenin proteins, Wnt signaling pathway, and its target genes. Then, effective compounds of the Teucrium persicum, Teucrium polium, Allium sativum (garlic), Glycine max (soy), and Brassica oleracea (broccoli) plants, which influence stability and cellular localization of E-cadherin/β-catenin complex, were studied. Based on literature review, there are some compounds in these plants, including genistein of soy, sulforaphane of broccoli, organosulfur compounds of garlic, and the total extract of Teucrium genus that change the expression of variety of Wnt target genes such as MMPs, E-cadherin, p21, p53, c-myc, and cyclin D1. So they may induce cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and/or inhibition of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and metastasis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Brassica / chemistry
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Garlic / chemistry
  • Glycine max / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy / methods
  • Teucrium / chemistry
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / drug effects
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • CDH1 protein, human
  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Cadherins
  • beta Catenin