The traditional Chinese medicine Achyranthes bidentata and our de novo conception of its metastatic chemoprevention: from phytochemistry to pharmacology.

Our recent biosystems analysis revealed similarities between embryonic implantation and cancer cell adhesion, which suggests that abortifacients may be good for safe and effective metastatic chemoprevention targeting circulating tumor cells (CTC). Here we test the hypothesis by using the well-known abortion herb Achyranthes bidentata Blume (A. bidentata). Five compounds were separated from the herb root. Among them, ginsenoside Ro was the most potent in inhibiting embryonic implantation within non-cytotoxic concentrations. It specifically inhibited the metastatic dissemination capability of colon cancer cells HT29, including the migration and invasion ability, and their adhesion to human endothelium through inhibiting integrin αvβ6, MMP-2, MMP-9, and ERK phosphorylation by HT29. Pretreatment of nude mice with oral ginsenoside Ro followed by HT29 intravenous inoculation and 40-day oral ginsenoside Ro significantly prevented lung metastasis with downregulation of integrin αvβ6 and no toxicity. The present study firstly introduces the new conception of utilizing safe and effective abortion botanic medicines for CTC-based metastatic chemoprevention.