TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of Vitamin D-binding Protein-derived Macrophage-activating Factor on Human Breast Cancer Cells JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 45 LP - 52 VL - 32 IS - 1 AU - STEFANIA PACINI AU - TIZIANA PUNZI AU - GABRIELE MORUCCI AU - MASSIMO GULISANO AU - MARCO RUGGIERO Y1 - 2012/01/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/32/1/45.abstract N2 - Background: Searching for additional therapeutic tools to fight breast cancer, we investigated the effects of vitamin D-binding protein-derived macrophage activating factor (DBP-MAF, also known as GcMAF) on a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Materials and Methods: The effects of DBP-MAF on proliferation, morphology, vimentin expression and angiogenesis were studied by cell proliferation assay, phase-contrst microscopy, immunohistochemestry and western blotting, and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Results: DBP-MAF inhibited human breast cancer cell proliferation and cancer cell-stimulated angiogenesis. MCF-7 cells treated with DBP-MAF predominantly grew in monolayer and appeared to be well adherent to each other and to the well surface. Exposure to DBP-MAF significantly reduced vimentin expression, indicating a reversal of the epithelial/mesenchymal transition, a hallmark of human breast cancer progression. Conclusion: These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the known anticancer efficacy of DBP-MAF can be ascribed to different biological properties of the molecule that include inhibition of tumour-induced angiogenesis and direct inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, migration and metastatic potential. ER -