Cardamonin: A Promising Natural Compound for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

Recent research has identified cardamonin, a natural compound found in the spice cardamom, as a potential therapeutic agent for treating triple-negative breast cancer. This type of breast cancer, accounting for 10-15% of all cases, lacks estrogen and progesterone receptors and does not produce excess HER2 protein, making it resistant to standard hormone-based treatments and leading to higher mortality rates.

Triple-negative breast cancer presents unique challenges due to its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. "Developing a safe and effective targeted therapy for this form of cancer has been difficult," said Patricia Mendonca, Ph.D., assistant professor and research analyst at Florida A&M University. She emphasizes the urgent need to explore medicinal plants as alternative treatments.

Mendonca is set to present her team's findings at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2022 event in Philadelphia. The research highlights cardamonin’s potential to enhance cancer therapy while minimizing side effects associated with conventional chemotherapeutics.

Cardamonin's historical use as a spice and dietary supplement underscores its safety profile, offering intriguing possibilities for addressing cancer treatment challenges. The study investigated cardamonin’s impact on the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) gene, which is known to aid in immune evasion by tumor cells during breast cancer progression.

Testing involved two distinct triple-negative breast cancer cell lines, representing patients of African American and European Caucasian descent. The results indicated that cardamonin reduced cell viability in both groups, with a notable decrease in PD-L1 expression in the Caucasian cell line only. These findings suggest potential variability in treatment responses based on genetic differences tied to race.

"This study is pioneering in illustrating cardamonin's inhibitory effect on PD-L1 expression, a critical factor in triple-negative breast cancer therapy," noted Mendonca, adding to existing research on racial differences within tumor microenvironments.

While promising, the research remains in early stages, necessitating further tests on cells and animals to validate cardamonin’s efficacy before human trials can proceed. Future research will also explore alternative mechanisms contributing to cardamonin's anti-cancer effects, underscoring a vital step forward in the quest for innovative cancer solutions.