New calmodulin antagonists inhibit in vitro growth of human breast cancer cell lines independent of their estrogen receptor status.

Calmodulin plays a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation and calmodulin antagonists may offer a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of breast cancer. Three new specific calmodulin antagonists with improved potency were synthesized and screened on human breast cancer cell lines known to be estrogen receptor (ER)-positive or -negative. These calmodulin antagonists significantly inhibited cell growth as measured by the MTT proliferation assay (p<0.001). Their IC50 values were in the low micromolar range against both ER-positive and -negative variants of the MCF-7 cell line. Two other breast cancer cell lines (ER-positive T-47D and ER-negative MDA-MB-231) were also inhibited by these calmodulin antagonists with IC50 values in a similar range. The level of inhibition was independent of any stimulation of cell growth by estradiol. Calmodulin antagonists effectively reduced cell growth of both ER-positive and -negative human breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Calmodulin antagonists represent a novel therapeutic approach requiring further investigation.