Anti-metastatic effects of emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside in breast cancer: Targeting EMT, MMPs, and angiogenesis.

Emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (EG), a natural hydroxyanthraquinone glycoside, exhibits promising antitumor activity. This study investigated its dual inhibitory effects on breast cancer metastasis and invasion. EG significantly suppressed migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, accompanied by reduced expression of VIM, SNAI1, MMP2, MMP9, HIF1A and VEGFA. EG also impaired angiogenesis in HUVECs. In vivo, EG reduced pulmonary micrometastatic foci without obvious toxicity. Combined with paclitaxel (PTX), EG exerted synergistic anti-metastatic effects, enabling PTX dose reduction. These findings demonstrate that EG impedes metastasis through suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, matrix metalloproteinase activity, and angiogenesis. Its favorable safety profile and synergy with PTX support its potential as a chemo-sensitizing agent in combinatorial breast cancer therapy.