Combined effects of pioglitazone and doxorubicin on migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

Background: Despite antitumor properties, chemotherapy medication can create conditions in tumor cells that work in favor of the tumor. Doxorubicin, commonly prescribed chemotherapy agents, can increase the risk of migration and invasion of tumor cells through overexpression of the CXCR4 gene by affecting downstream signaling pathways. The regulatory role of CXCR7 on CXCR4 function has been demonstrated. Therefore, it is hypothesized that combining doxorubicin with another anticancer drug could be a promising approach. Methods: In this research, we evaluated the anti-invasive property of pioglitazone along with antitumor effects of doxorubicin on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Results: There was no significant difference between two treatment groups in neither the expression nor changes in the expression of CXCR7 and CXCR4 genes (P < 0.05). Pioglitazone-doxorubicin combination reduced cell migration in tumor cells to a significantly higher extent compared to doxorubicin alone (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Co-administration of pioglitazone and doxorubicin might reduce cell migration in breast cancer tumor cells, and that cell migration function is independent of some specific proteins.