Flavonoids Stymie Inhibitory Proteins

TOKYO—Flavonoids positively impacted breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)—an ABC transporter compound known to cause drug resistance in numerous diseases, including cancer and leukemia—according to a study from Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy and the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research.

Researchers studied the effects of flavonoids on human leukemia K562 cells transduced with BCRP or fellow ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp), as well as on human epidermoid carcinoma KB-3-1 cells transfected with multi-drug resistance-related protein-1 (MDRP-1). Researchers screened 32 flavonoid compounds against the three proteins; 20 were found to be active. The compounds significantly affected BCRP but showed only low anti-P-gp activity; none of the tested flavonoids inhibited MRP1. Researchers concluded the tested flavonoids selectively inhibit BCRP only. The study was published in Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology (DOI: 10.1007/s00280-007-0426-7).

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