Can Breast Cancer Patients Take Fucoidan to Help with Treatment?
How Small-Molecule Fucoidan Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth and Reduces Metastasis Risk Through miRNA Regulation and the TGF-β Pathway, Bringing New Hope to Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy
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Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and ranks first among female cancers in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. With advances in diagnostic technology and treatment methods, most patients achieve relatively good outcomes if detected early. However, some patients suffer from highly aggressive subtypes, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks hormone receptors and HER2 targets, resulting in limited treatment options, high recurrence rates, and a high risk of metastasis.
In recent years, the medical community has been actively searching for adjuvant therapies that can improve treatment efficacy and reduce side effects. Studies show that tumor formation and metastasis are not only related to genetic mutations but are also regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). These tiny molecules determine whether cancer cells grow, differentiate, or die. Therefore, scientists have begun to focus on natural substances that can influence miRNAs, and one of the most notable research subjects is small-molecule fucoidan.
Breast Cancer Is the Most Common Cancer in Women
What is Small-Molecule Fucoidan?
Fucoidan is a natural polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds (such as kelp, wakame, and macrocystis). It contains sulfate groups and fucose, and possesses multiple functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating properties. Previous studies have confirmed that it can inhibit tumor cell growth, promote cancer cell apoptosis, and activate natural killer (NK) cells to enhance immunity.
However, conventional fucoidan has a large molecular weight and low absorption rate. The small-molecule fucoidan (Oligo-Fucoidan) developed by a Taiwanese research team has a molecular weight of only about 500 Daltons, making it much more easily absorbed by the body and able to exert effects at the cellular level. This breakthrough not only improves its bioavailability but also enables it to enter the clinical trial stage for research as an adjuvant cancer therapy.
In 2016, the team led by Dr. Szu-Yuan Wu from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Wan Fang Hospital published a study showing that small-molecule fucoidan can inhibit breast cancer cell growth by regulating miRNA expression. The experiments revealed that it simultaneously affects two key molecular axes:
- miR-29c / ADAM12 axis: Reduces the expression of genes associated with tumor metastasis.
- miR-17-5p / PTEN axis: Restores the function of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation.
Even more encouragingly, the study found that small-molecule fucoidan is non-toxic to normal breast cells, selectively inhibiting only cancer cells, with particularly pronounced effects on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). It blocks the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells, reducing their invasiveness and metastatic potential.
For patients, this means small-molecule fucoidan has the potential to serve as a safe adjuvant nutrient during treatment, possibly lowering the risk of disease recurrence.
Experimental Result 1: Inhibiting Breast Cancer Cells and Reducing Metastasis Risk
Experimental Result 2: Suppressing Tumor Growth and Lung Metastasis
As early as 2013, Professor Hsien-Yeh Hsu from the Institute of Medical Biotechnology at Yang-Ming University published another important study confirming that small-molecule fucoidan can effectively inhibit breast tumor growth.
In animal experiments, the research team found that mice orally administered small-molecule fucoidan had significantly smaller tumor volumes than the control group, while the number of lung metastatic lesions was also dramatically reduced. Molecular-level analysis revealed that fucoidan activates the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, accelerating the degradation of transforming growth factor-β receptors (TGF-βR) within cancer cells, thereby depriving tumor cells of proliferation signals and ultimately suppressing both growth and metastasis.
This finding is particularly significant because the TGF-β signaling pathway is regarded as a key driver of breast cancer metastasis. By targeting this mechanism, small-molecule fucoidan successfully “cuts off” the pathway for cancer cell dissemination, offering new possibilities for adjuvant treatment in hard-to-treat breast cancers.
The Clinical Significance of Fucoidan: Safe, Natural, and Scientifically Supported
Multiple studies show that the anti-cancer effects of small-molecule fucoidan are not limited to a single pathway but operate synergistically on multiple levels:
- Regulating miRNA to interfere with cancer cell proliferation;
- Inhibiting EMT and TGF-β signaling to reduce metastasis;
- Exhibiting no significant toxicity while preserving normal cell function;
- Providing antioxidant and immune-enhancing effects to improve the body’s overall disease-fighting capacity.
For breast cancer patients, this means small-molecule fucoidan has the potential to serve as a “supportive therapy beyond chemotherapy and targeted treatments.” Under the guidance of a professional physician, using clinically validated Taiwanese small-molecule fucoidan can help improve treatment tolerance, reduce the risk of recurrence, and enhance overall quality of life.
Physician’s Advice: Adjuvant, Not Replacement
Although the scientific evidence is encouraging, physicians still emphasize that fucoidan is positioned as an “adjuvant therapy” and cannot replace standard medical treatment. Patients who wish to use it should consult an oncologist or nutrition specialist to ensure compatibility with their current treatment plan and to avoid potential drug interactions.
When choosing a product, it is recommended to select small-molecule fucoidan with clinical research support and a clearly stated molecular weight (approximately 500 Daltons) to ensure both safety and efficacy.
Conclusion: From Ocean to Life – The Union of Science and Nature
The goal of breast cancer treatment is not only to prolong life, but also to restore the strength to live. As a natural ingredient from the ocean, small-molecule fucoidan demonstrates the powerful potential of combining science and nature.
It not only helps patients maintain immune balance during treatment, but also opens new hope for future adjuvant breast cancer therapies. For every woman fighting this disease, this hope deserves to be seen.
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References
- Wu, S. Y., & Lin, C. H. (2016). Brown seaweed fucoidan inhibits cancer progression by dual regulation of miR-29c/ADAM12 and miR-17-5p/PTEN axes in human breast cancer cells. Marine Drugs, 14(1), 12–24.
- Hsu, H. L., & Hsu, C. L. (2013). Fucoidan induces changes in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition and decreases metastasis by enhancing ubiquitin-dependent TGFβ receptor degradation in breast cancer. Oncotarget, 4(12), 1976–1989.
- National Yang-Ming University, Institute of Biomedical Technology. (2013). Oligo-Fucoidan and TGFβ receptor degradation in breast cancer study report. Taipei: Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.