Cancer is one of the most common diseases in the worldwide. In 2018, approximately 18.1 million people have been diagnosed with cancers, and nearly 9.6 million people died of cancers. Although cancers have been extensively explored by scientists, the underlying mechanism of tumorigenesis remains lots of unknown. However, recent studies have demonstrated that chronic inflammation plays a critical role in oncology, orchestrating a tumor microenvironment conducive to the cancer cell growth. This evidence provides a new direction for the cancer research.

An in vitro study published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine has shown that 4-Acetylantroquinonl B (4-AAQB), a novel bioactive compound found in Antrodia cinnamomea (AC), has the potential to inhibit the development of breast cancer promoted by chronic inflammation.

The 4-AAQB in the in vitro study was provided by New Bellus Enterprises Co., Ltd, which is dedicated to producing the mycelium of Antrodia cinnamomea with high content of 4-AAQB.

“This study suggested that Antroquinonol (AQ) and 4-AAQB derived from AC mushroom possess the function to modulate the NF-κB signaling and the expression of inflammatory mediators as well as the tumorigenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling, collectively in favor of breast cancer cell growth.” said Lin, a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB) is a natural compound recently identified from Antrodia Cinnamomea, a medicinal mushroom natively grown in Taiwan. Currently, 4-AAQB has been recognized as a potential anti-inflammatory compound. Moreover, studies have also shown that 4-AAQB possesses anti-tumor effects in a variety of cancers, including hepatomas, brain cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer.

In this study, breast cancer cell line MCF7 was used to demostrate the effects of 4-AAQB on the expression of inflammatory cytokines and some tumorigenic signaling pathways with Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) treatment, which was aimed to simulate an inflammatory tumor microenvironment potentially caused by high-fat diet induced obesity.

In the results, the expression of some inflammatory mediators as well as Aromatase, an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of estrogen, were significantly reduced by 4-AAQB (0.4 μM) treatment. Moreover, the activity of NF-κB Signaling, which is a key regulator of inflammatory response, and tumorigenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling were also inhibited by 4-AAQB, demonstrating the potential anti-inflammation and anti-tumor effects of 4-AAQB.