Broccoli Sprouts Inhibit Breast Cancer Stem Cells

ANN ARBOR, Mich.Sulforaphane, a natural compound derived from broccoli/broccoli sprouts, inhibited breast cancer stem cells and down-regulated the Wnt/beta-catenin self-renewal pathway in a recent study at the University of Michigan (Clin Cancer Res. 2010;16(9):258090). Researchers said, These findings support the use of sulforaphane for the chemoprevention of breast cancer stem cells and warrant further clinical evaluation. The study used a non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft model to determine whether sulforaphane could target breast cancer stem cells in vivo, as assessed by Aldefluor assay, and tumor growth upon cell re-implantation in secondary mice.

Sulforaphane (1-5 mol/L) decreased aldehyde dehydrogenasepositive cell population by 65 percent to 80 percent in human breast cancer cells (P<0.01) and reduced the size and number of primary mammospheres by eight- to 125-fold, and 45 percent to 75 percent (P<0.01), respectively. Daily injection with 50 mg/kg sulforaphane for two weeks reduced aldehyde dehydrogenasepositive cells by more than 50 percent in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft tumors (P=0.003). Sulforaphane eliminated breast cancer stem cells in vivo, thereby abrogating tumor growth after the reimplantation of primary tumor cells into the secondary mice (P<0.01).