Combined Effects of Oxaliplatin and Tetracaine on Proliferation and Migration in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, presenting significant challenges in treatment due to a lack of targeted therapies. This study investigates the combination effects of oxaliplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent, and tetracaine, a sodium channel modulator, on the proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, a highly metastatic TNBC cell line. We hypothesized that the combined application of these agents would enhance anti-proliferative and anti-migratory responses through mechanisms that may involve voltage-gated sodium channel-associated pathways linked to tumor invasion. Using cell viability assays, MTT assays, and wound healing assays, we determined the optimal non-toxic concentrations of oxaliplatin and tetracaine and evaluated their individual and combined effects on cell growth and migration. Our findings reveal that the combination treatment significantly reduces cell proliferation and migration compared to either agent alone, indicating a potential therapeutic strategy for TNBC through drug repurposing and combinatorial approaches. These findings provide a rationale for mechanistic dissection of Nav1.5-dependent signaling pathways and support subsequent in vivo validation of this combinatorial strategy in translational TNBC models.