Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 19, 2025 3 hours, 18 minutes ago
Medical News: Natural Compound Thymoquinone Enhances Methotrexate Effectiveness in Fighting Breast Cancer
Researchers from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Private Batman Life Hospital in Turkey, the Faculty of Medicine at Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, the Faculty of Medicine at Dicle University, and the Vocational School of Health Services at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University have discovered a powerful synergy between the natural compound thymoquinone and the chemotherapy drug methotrexate that could revolutionize breast cancer treatment. The study revealed that when used together, these two agents dramatically increase cancer cell death while reducing the drug dosage needed for effectiveness. This
Medical News report explains how the combination works and what it could mean for patients in the future.
How Thymoquinone and Methotrexate Work Together
Thymoquinone (TQ) is a bioactive compound found in the seeds of Nigella sativa, also known as black cumin. It has been studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Methotrexate (MTX) is a well-known chemotherapy drug used for decades, but its use is limited by toxicity and drug resistance. The researchers tested the effects of TQ and MTX individually and in combination on MCF-7 breast cancer cells—a model of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
The results were remarkable. Both compounds killed cancer cells on their own, but when combined, the effect was far stronger. The mixture increased apoptosis—or programmed cell death—by up to 83.6%, compared to 30–60% seen with single treatments. The combination also caused the cells to stop dividing at the G2/M phase of their life cycle, a sign that growth had been completely halted.
Increased Oxidative Stress Destroys Cancer Cells
The study showed that combining TQ and MTX increased the production of harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) sixfold. These ROS damage the cancer cell’s internal structures, pushing them toward death. At the same time, key antioxidant defenses—superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)—were sharply reduced to only about 30% of normal levels. This imbalance tipped the scales toward oxidative stress, making the cancer cells unable to recover.
Genetic Changes Point to Anti-Metastatic Effects
At the genetic level, the combination therapy caused a major shift in cell behavior. The expression of the pro-death gene Bax increased sixfold, while the anti-death gene Bcl-2 dropped to just 10% of normal levels. This change made the cancer cells highly prone to self-destruction. In addition, genes linked to tumor spread and inflammation—NF-κB, MMP-2, and MMP-9—were strongly suppressed. These changes suggest that the TQ–MTX combination not only kills cancer cells but may also stop them from spreading to other parts of the body.
Potential for Safer and More Effective Cancer Therapy
The researchers found that the combination of thymoquinone and methotrexate worked synergistically even at lower doses, meaning the same anticancer effects could be achieved with less methotrexate and fewer side effects. Functional analyses also confirmed that NF-κB acts as a central control hub connecting the genes r
esponsible for cancer cell survival and metastasis. By silencing this pathway, the combination treatment cripples the tumor’s ability to grow and resist therapy.
Conclusion
This study provides strong evidence that natural plant compounds like thymoquinone can enhance the power of traditional chemotherapy drugs such as methotrexate. By promoting oxidative stress, triggering apoptosis, and suppressing metastasis-related pathways, this dual therapy offers a promising and potentially less toxic approach to breast cancer treatment. Further animal and clinical studies are needed, but the findings pave the way for safer, more effective therapeutic strategies that could change how breast cancer is treated.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Pharmaceuticals.
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/10/1551
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/cancer
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/herbs-and-phytochemicals
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