Abstract 1684: 2-Methoxyestradiol reverses the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in Barrett's adenocarcinoma cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME2) is a novel anti-cancer agent because of its ability to potentiate apoptotic cell death and inhibit cancer cell growth and angiogenesis. In our study, we have investigated whether 2-ME2 is able to modulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma cell (OE33), which has been postulated as an absolute requirement for tumor invasion and metastasis. Expression of epithelial (E-cadherin, β-catenin, Keratin-19) and mesenchymal markers (Oct-4, Vimentin) and stem cell markers (CD44, CD24) were studied at mRNA and protein levels in OE33 cells that were treated with 5µmolar/L of 2-ME2 for 24 h and 48 h. Our results indicate expression of β-catenin and E-cadherin is activated in a 2-ME2 dependent fashion in OE33 cells. Expression of Vimentin and Oct-4 is significantly down-regulated in 2-ME2 treated OE33 cells. Altogether, these results provide new insights into the role of 2-ME2 in EMT modulation, which may facilitate development of new therapeutic strategies to prevent the tumor invasion and metastasis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1684. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1684