Astaxanthin (ASX) is a marine-based ketocarotenoid; an accessory pigment in plants in that it has many different potential functions. ASX is an antioxidant that is notably more potent than many other antioxidants. Antioxidants have anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-reducing properties to potentially reduce the incidence of cancer or inhibit the expansion of tumor cells. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ASX would inhibit proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells in vitro. We found that application of ASX significantly reduced proliferation rates and inhibited breast cancer cell migration compared to control normal breast epithelial cells. Based on these results, further investigation of the effects of ASX on not only breast cancer cells, but other forms of tumor cells, should be carried out.

The influence of breast cancer cells on normal cells of the microenvironment, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, has been heavily studied but the influence of normal epithelial cells on breast cancer cells has not. Here using in vivo and in vitro models we demonstrate the impact epithelial cells and the mammary microenvironment can exert on breast cancer cells. Under specific conditions, signals that originate in epithelial cells can induce phenotypic and genotypic changes in cancer cells. We have termed this phenomenon "cancer cell redirection." Once breast cancer cells are redirected, either in vivo or in vitro, they lose their tumor forming capacity and undergo a genetic expression profile shift away from one that supports a cancer profile towards one that supports a non-tumorigenic epithelial profile. These findings indicate that epithelial cells and the normal microenvironment influence breast cancer cells and that under certain circumstances restrict proliferation of tumorigenic cells.

Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women worldwide. Surgical removal of the breast tumor and subsequent reconstructive surgery can result in complications such as infection or necrosis of transplanted adipose tissue. Breast cancer recurrence is also a serious concern for patients. Our group has developed a tannic acid/collagen bead material that has the potential to be used as an injectable adipose tissue regenerative device to replace lipofilling. Tannic acid is a polyphenol with anticancer and antibiotic properties. The objective of this study was to establish the biocompatibility of an injectable tannic acid/collagen bead implant material in an in vivo rat model. The injection of the tannic acid-collagen type I bead device was minimally invasive. No symptoms of infection, tissue necrosis, or widespread chronic inflammation were observed. After 12 weeks, implants showed incorporation into native tissue with no fibrous encapsulation. Despite the presence of inflammatory cells in the remaining beads, fat tissue growth and collagen redistribution were observed within the beads over 12 weeks, showing incorporation within native subcutaneous tissue and indicating good biocompatibility and bioactivity of the implant. Our results demonstrate that the tannic acid/collagen bead scaffold has good biocompatibility and works as an adipocyte tissue regeneration and reconstructive device.

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Novel approaches to the prevention of microbial infections after the insertion of orthopedic external fixators are in great demand because of the extremely high incidence rates of such infections, which can reach up to 100% with longer implant residence times. Monolaurin is an antimicrobial agent with a known safety record that is broadly used in the food and cosmetic industries; however, its use in antimicrobial coatings of medical devices has not been studied in much detail. Here, we report the use of monolaurin as an antibacterial coating on external fixators for the first time. Monolaurin-coated Kirschner wires (K-wires) showed excellent antibacterial properties against three different bacterial strains, i.e., methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Approximately 6.0-log reductions of both planktonic and adherent bacteria were achieved using monolaurin-coated K-wires, but monolaurin-coated K-wires did not show any observable cytotoxicity with mouse osteoblast cell cultures. Overall, monolaurin-coated K-wires could be promising as potent antimicrobial materials for orthopedic surgery.