Dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid inhibits tumor growth in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis, accounting for approximately 12-24% of breast cancer cases. Accumulating evidence has indicated that there is no effective targeted therapy available for TNBC. Dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA) is a bioactive phospholipid. However, the function of DPPA in the growth of TNBC has not yet been studied. In this study, we employed TNBC cells and a subcutaneous tumor model to elucidate the possible effect of DPPA on tumor growth in TNBC. We showed that DPPA significantly inhibited tumor growth in the mouse subcutaneous tumor model and suppressed cell proliferation and angiogenesis in TNBC tumor tissues. This inhibition was mediated partly by suppressing the expression of cyclin B1 (CCNB1), which directly promoted the accumulation of cells in the G2 phase and arrested cell cycle progression in human TNBC. In addition, the inhibition of tumor growth by DPPA may also be mediated by the suppression of tumor angiogenesis in TNBC. This work provides initial evidence that DPPA might be vital as an anti-tumor drug to treat TNBC.