Actin Depolymerization by β-Amino Alcohol in Breast Cancer Cells

As breast cancer is heterogeneous, there is a strong need to diversify current treatment and discover more options for advanced breast cancer. Pyrrolidinyl-substituted β-amino alcohol (pyrrolidine for short) is a drug synthesized from Hansen Lab at DePauw that can kill MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Previously, we have seen MCF-7 struggling to migrate in scratch assay, and maintain proper cell shape in actin fluorescent staining. By combining both tests in one experiment, we attempted to observe how their actin structure changes during migration. In this research, we have narrowed down the mechanism of action of pyrrolidine to be actin depolymerization. This effect disrupts the formation of lamellipodia and stress fibers, which prevents MCF-7 cells from migrating and surviving.