Lycorine is a novel inhibitor of the growth and metastasis of hormone-refractory prostate cancer

// Meichun Hu 1 , Shihong Peng 1 , Yundong He 1 , Min Qin 1 , Xiaonan Cong 1 , Yajing Xing 1 , Mingyao Liu 1, 2 , Zhengfang Yi 1 1 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China 2 Institute of Bioscience and Technology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA Correspondence to: Zhengfang Yi, e-mail: zfyi@bio.ecnu.edu.cn Keywords: Lycorine, hormone-refractory PCa, STAT3 signaling, tumor growth and metastasis Received: January 06, 2015 Accepted: March 15, 2015 Published: April 12, 2015 ABSTRACT Lycorine, a natural alkaloid extracted from the Amaryllidaceae plant family, has been reported to exhibit a wide range of physiological effects, including the potential effect against cancer. However, the anti-prostate cancer (PCa) efficacy of Lycorine remains unrevealed. In this context, we figured out Lycorine’s anti-proliferative and anti-migratory properties for PCa treatment. Lycorine inhibited proliferation of various PCa cell lines, induced cell apoptosis and cell death. Here we showed that Lycorine decreased proliferation, migration, invasion, survival and EMT of prostate cancer cell lines. Subcutaneous and orthotopic xenotransplantations by ectopic implantation of the human hormone-refractory PC-3M-luc cells were used to confirm in vivo anticancer effects of Lycorine. Lycorine inhibited both growth and metastasis in multiple organs (liver, lung, kidney, spleen and bone) in vivo and improved mice survival. Lycorine prevented EGF-induced JAK/STAT signaling. Importantly, anti-cancer effects of Lycorine were dependent on STAT expression. We suggest that Lycorine is a potential therapeutic in prostate cancer.