The potential role of lycopene for the prevention and therapy of prostate cancer: From molecular mechanisms to clinical evidence

Lycopene is a phytochemical that belongs to a group of pigments known as carotenoids. It is red, lipophilic and naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables, with tomatoes and tomato-based products containing the highest concentrations of bioavailable lycopene. Several epidemiological studies have linked increased lycopene consumption with decreased prostate cancer risk. These findings are supported by in vitro and in vivo experiments showing that lycopene not only enhances the antioxidant response of prostate cells, but that it is even able to inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and decrease the metastatic capacity of prostate cancer cells. However, there is still no clearly proven clinical evidence supporting the use of lycopene in the prevention or treatment of prostate cancer, due to the only limited number of published randomized clinical trials and the varying quality of existing studies. The scope of this article is to discuss the potential impact of lycopene on prostate cancer by giving an overview about its molecular mechanisms and clinical effects. © 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Lycopene reduces ovarian tumor growth and intraperitoneal metastatic load

Mutagens like oxidants cause lesions in the DNA of ovarian and fallopian tube epithelial cells, resulting in neoplastic transformation. Reduced exposure of surface epithelia to oxidative stress may prevent the onset or reduce the growth of ovarian cancer. Lycopene is well-known for its excellent antioxidant properties. In this study, the potential of lycopene in the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer was investigated using an intraperitoneal animal model. Lycopene prevention significantly reduced the metastatic load of ovarian cancer-bearing mice, whereas treatment of already established ovarian tumors with lycopene significantly diminished the tumor burden. Lycopene treatment synergistically enhanced anti-tumorigenic effects of paclitaxel and carboplatin. Immunostaining of tumor and metastatic tissues for Ki67 revealed that lycopene reduced the number of proliferating cancer cells. Lycopene decreased the expression of the ovarian cancer biomarker, CA125. The anti-metastatic and anti-proliferative effects were accompanied by down-regulated expression of ITGA5, ITGB1, MMP9, FAK, ILK and EMT markers, decreased protein expression of integrin α5 and reduced activation of MAPK. These findings indicate that lycopene interferes with mechanisms involved in the development and progression of ovarian cancer and that its preventive and therapeutic use, combined with chemotherapeutics, reduces the tumor and metastatic burden of ovarian cancer in vivo

Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc.: Learning from the past, a case study for regenerative medicine

10.2217/rme.10.66Regenerative Medicine55823-83

Lycopene's effects on cancer cell functions within monolayer and spheroid cultures

Lycopene, a compound that blocks the action of free radicals and oxygen molecules, is found in tomatoes and tomato-based products and linked to a reduced incidence of cancer. Increasing willingness of patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle by supplemental intake of nutrients and acceptance of alternative therapeutics has boosted research into nutraceuticals. The potential of lycopene to prevent or treat cancer has been investigated, but outcomes are inconsistent and its mode of action is still unknown. Further studies are needed to understand the role of lycopene in cancer prevention and treatment. The impact of lycopene on viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of five different cancer cell lines was determined using monolayer and spheroid cultures. Cell viability was significantly reduced upon lycopene treatment at physiologically attainable concentrations. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion did not change upon lycopene treatment. Ovarian cancer spheroids initially showed a decreased proliferation and after 14 days increased cell viability upon lycopene treatment, confirming the potential of lycopene to reduce cancer cell growth in short-term cultures and also indicate enhanced cell viability over prolonged exposure. This study cannot substantiate that lycopene inhibits cell functions associated with tumor growth, even in a 3D cancer model that mimics the natural tumor microenvironment