Evaluate the inhibition of cytochrome P450 1A1 for enhancing breast cancer chemotherapy with a turn-on fluorescent probe

Abstract

The incidence rate of breast cancer ranks first in women malignant tumors worldwide, accompanied by a high mortality. The early diagnosis and therapy are important way to reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer in clinical practice. There are urgent needs for anti-tumor strategies with clear evidence and reliable efficacy. Because cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) is commonly expressed in breast cancer and has the excellent ability to metabolize xenobiotics, researchers are interested in studying the vital function of CYP1A1 in breast cancer. Herein, we report a BCy-CYP fluorescent probe for imaging of CYP1A1 in cells and in vivo. This probe has outstanding selectivity and high sensitivity for CYP1A1 detection over other biomolecules. Our results reveal that the intracellular CYP1A1 level increase in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, and inhibition of CYP1A1 by carnosol efficiently induce apoptosis in the two kinds of breast cancer cells. Thus, CYP1A1 plays a crucial role in breast cancer. The synergistic effect of carnosol and chemotherapy drug is better than chemotherapy drug alone in tumor-bearing mice. CYP1A1 level may be a new biomarker for breast cancer early diagnosis.