Synergism from Combinations of Piperine and Doxorubicin in Growth Inhibition of Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is the second most common of all cancers and by far the most frequent cancer amongst women. Doxorubicin is broadly considered the most active single agent available for the treatment of breast cancer. Although breast cancer is considered one of the most chemosensitive solid tumors, most initially responsive tumors relapse and develop resistance to a broad spectrum of drugs. Consequently, breast cancer becomes refractory to cytotoxic drugs and is typically incurable. One of the most important reasons for resistance to chemotherapy is due to a subset of cancer cells, termed cancer stem cells (CSC). Numerous studies have shown that many plants derived phytochemicals selectively target CSCs together with the proliferating tumor cells. Furthermore, plant-derived anticancer agents have less side effect and toxicity thanchemotherapy drugs and many of them synergistically act with cancer chemotherapeutics reducing cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Therefore, combinational use of phytochemicals and chemotherapy drugs can help to develop cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate synergistic effect of piperine as a phytochemical component with doxorubicin as a chemotherapy drug.

Keywords:

Breasr Cancer , Canser Stem Cell , Doxorubicin , Piperine