• Anti-cancer Effects of the Methanolic Extract of Frankincense on Brain Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
  • Mohammad Kamalabadi-Farahani,1,* Amir Atashi,2 Maede Jafari,3 Asma Asadi,4
    1. Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
    2. Department of Medical Sciences, School of Paramedical, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
    3. Student Research Committee, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
    4. Student Research Committee, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran


  • Introduction: Background/Aim: Brain metastasis is a devastating complication in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. The anticancer properties of Frankincense was determined in many research, but on brain metastasis cancer cells, these effects have not been previously reported. This study aimed to evaluate these effects.
  • Methods: Materials and Methods: The methanolic extract of frankincense was prepared .After development of syngenic animal model of TNBC, primary breast cancer cells named 4T1T were isolated from tumor mass. Highly brain metastatic tumor cells named 4T1B were isolated and expanded from brain metastasis lesions of cancerous mice. The cytotoxic activity of Frankincense on 4T1B and 4T1T was assessed by MTT assays. Induction of apoptosis and antimetastatic effects of Frankincense was measured by annexin v- propidium iodide (pi) flow cytometric analysis and scratch test respectively.
  • Results: Results: The frankincense extract have potent apoptotic effects on 4T1B. Interestingly, 4T1B are more susceptible to apoptosis compared whit with 4T1T. Antimetastatic effects of extract was confirmed in 2D culture of these brain metastatic breast cancer cells.
  • Conclusion: Conclusion: This is the first report of the anticancer effects of frankincense extract on brain metastasis cancer cells. Compared to many anti-cancer drugs and compounds, which have very limited ability to fight on brain metastasis cancer cells, frankincense is a good candidate to combat these cells.
  • Keywords: Keywords: Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Brain Metastasis, Frankincense