date:May 03, 2013
e powerful antioxidant and anti-estrogenic effects, and for this reason they have been suggested as a possible preventive measure for breast cancer. Indeed, lignans have already been shown to inhibit growth and induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) of both ER- and ER+ breast cancer cells both in vitro and in animal studies. Importantly, lignans also inhibit the ability of both ER+ and ER- breast cancer cells to metastasize by potently down-regulating the metalloproteinases MMP2, MMP9 and MMP1