The efficacy of betulinic acid in triple-negative breast cancer

PURPOSE: The treatment of triple-negative breast cancer remains a daunting challenge with the standard-of-care treatments eventually failing due to acquired drug resistance, toxic side effects and the presence of a deregulated immune response. New treatments for overcoming these drawbacks include the use of plant extracts. STUDY DESIGN: In this study, the efficacy of betulinic acid, a naturally abundant phytochemical exhibiting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity, has been evaluated for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cell lines. Furthermore, the ability of betulinic acid to inhibit angiogenesis was also determined. RESULTS: Here, we report that betulinic acid was able to inhibit the inflammatory response, inhibit angiogenesis and cause cell cycle arrest ultimately causing apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Our findings support that the identification of naturally occurring anti-tumour compounds may provide a chemotherapeutic approach for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results provide a molecular basis for the ability of betulinic acid to mediate apoptosis, suppress inflammation and inhibit angiogenesis in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines.