Soy Metabolites, Isoflavones in Cell Growth and Apoptosis

摘要

The purpose of our investigation was to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) by which genistein elicits its biological effects on non- tumorigenic and tumorigenic breast epithelial cells. We have completed all our tasks as planned and our major findings are: (a) that genistein inhibits cell cycle by modulating genes that are important cell cycle regulators, (b) that genistein induces apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells irrespective of their status of estrogen receptor positivity, (c) that genistein elicits differential effects between non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic breast epithelial cells, and (d) that genistein also down regulate NF-kB in breast epithelial cells and that this effect of genistein may be due to down regulation of Akt signaling (this aspect is currently being pursued in a pending grant application to the Department of Defense).