The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review

Breast cancer ranks as the fifth-most-prevalent malignancy worldwide, characterized by high heterogeneity and multifactorial etiology across molecular subtypes. Despite advancements in conventional therapies, including surgery and chemotherapy, persistent challenges such as treatment-related adverse...

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Main Authors: Yumin Yang, Yufeng Li, Shanshan Liao, Pan Gao, Jie Tian, Cheng Fu, Xuhua Qin, Shenrui Jin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Biomedicines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/6/1355
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author Yumin Yang
Yufeng Li
Shanshan Liao
Pan Gao
Jie Tian
Cheng Fu
Xuhua Qin
Shenrui Jin
author_facet Yumin Yang
Yufeng Li
Shanshan Liao
Pan Gao
Jie Tian
Cheng Fu
Xuhua Qin
Shenrui Jin
author_sort Yumin Yang
collection DOAJ
description Breast cancer ranks as the fifth-most-prevalent malignancy worldwide, characterized by high heterogeneity and multifactorial etiology across molecular subtypes. Despite advancements in conventional therapies, including surgery and chemotherapy, persistent challenges such as treatment-related adverse effects and acquired drug resistance necessitate alternative therapeutic strategies. Matrine, a naturally occurring alkaloid derived from Sophora flavescens, has demonstrated significant anticancer potential through multiple mechanisms. Experimental evidence indicates that matrine exerts inhibitory effects on tumor cell proliferation, promotes apoptosis, and attenuates metastatic progression via modulation of critical signaling pathways, particularly PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, NF-κB, MAPK/ERK, and Wnt/β-catenin. This review systematically examines subtype-specific responses to matrine treatment, highlighting its potential utility in precision oncology for distinct breast cancer classifications. Furthermore, we evaluate matrine’s capacity to synergize with standard chemotherapeutic regimens, potentially overcoming drug resistance while reducing required dosages. By integrating current preclinical and clinical findings, this analysis provides new perspectives on matrine’s therapeutic applications and underscores the imperative for translational studies to establish optimized treatment protocols for clinical implementation.
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spelling doaj-art-ac5bee638eba40b9bdb50cfddbea6ec82025-08-20T02:24:18ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-05-01136135510.3390/biomedicines13061355The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A ReviewYumin Yang0Yufeng Li1Shanshan Liao2Pan Gao3Jie Tian4Cheng Fu5Xuhua Qin6Shenrui Jin7College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaCollege of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, ChinaBreast cancer ranks as the fifth-most-prevalent malignancy worldwide, characterized by high heterogeneity and multifactorial etiology across molecular subtypes. Despite advancements in conventional therapies, including surgery and chemotherapy, persistent challenges such as treatment-related adverse effects and acquired drug resistance necessitate alternative therapeutic strategies. Matrine, a naturally occurring alkaloid derived from Sophora flavescens, has demonstrated significant anticancer potential through multiple mechanisms. Experimental evidence indicates that matrine exerts inhibitory effects on tumor cell proliferation, promotes apoptosis, and attenuates metastatic progression via modulation of critical signaling pathways, particularly PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, NF-κB, MAPK/ERK, and Wnt/β-catenin. This review systematically examines subtype-specific responses to matrine treatment, highlighting its potential utility in precision oncology for distinct breast cancer classifications. Furthermore, we evaluate matrine’s capacity to synergize with standard chemotherapeutic regimens, potentially overcoming drug resistance while reducing required dosages. By integrating current preclinical and clinical findings, this analysis provides new perspectives on matrine’s therapeutic applications and underscores the imperative for translational studies to establish optimized treatment protocols for clinical implementation.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/6/1355matrinebreast canceranti-tumormechanismtraditional Chinese medicine monomer
spellingShingle Yumin Yang
Yufeng Li
Shanshan Liao
Pan Gao
Jie Tian
Cheng Fu
Xuhua Qin
Shenrui Jin
The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review
Biomedicines
matrine
breast cancer
anti-tumor
mechanism
traditional Chinese medicine monomer
title The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review
title_full The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review
title_fullStr The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review
title_full_unstemmed The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review
title_short The Potential of Matrine in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review
title_sort potential of matrine in the treatment of breast cancer a review
topic matrine
breast cancer
anti-tumor
mechanism
traditional Chinese medicine monomer
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/6/1355
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