A new study has reported exposure to aluminum increases the mobility of hormone receptor positive (ER+/PR+) breast cancer cells, suggesting that aluminum could promote metastasis. The study was designed to evaluate the effects of aluminum on the migratory and invasive properties of ER+/PR+ MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.
Long-term (defined as 32 weeks) but not short-term (1 week) exposure of MCF-7 cells to aluminum chloride or aluminum chlorohydrate was found to enhance the motility of the cells. Live cell imaging demonstrated that the cumulative length moved by individual aluminum-exposed breast cancer cells exceeded that of unexposed cells.
Long-term (37 week) exposure to aluminum chloride or aluminum chlorohydrate also was shown to enhance the ability of the breast cancer cells to invade through a matrigel layer (a gelatinous protein mixture used as a type of reconstituted cell membrane).
The authors conclude that while the molecular mechanisms remain to be explained, the ability of aluminum salts to increase migratory and invasive properties of MCF-7 breast cancer cells suggests that aluminum in breast tissue could influence metastatic processes.