TY - JOUR AU - Pickart, Loren AU - MARGOLINA, ANNA PY - 2021 DA - 2021/04/06 TI - Modulation of Gene Expression in Human Breast Cancer MCF7 and Prostate Cancer PC3 Cells by the Human Copper-Binding Peptide GHK-Cu. JO - OBM Genetics SP - 128 VL - 05 IS - 02 AB - Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, while prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men. Despite significant advances in diagnostics and treatment, these cancers have a high risk of metastases and greatly reduce quality of life. Recently, it has been established that multiple epigenetic alterations in gene expression may play a role in cancer progression. Unlike mutations, which involve changes in DNA sequence, epigenetic modifications are not permanent and can be reversed. This opens a new venue for cancer research and future therapy. The human copper-binding peptide GHK-Cu is a small plasma tripeptide (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine) with a high affinity for copper (2+). Numerous studies over the past four decades established that GHK-Cu has multiple health-promoting effects, including wound healing, DNA repair, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant actions. Recently, GHK-Cu was found to reverse expression of multiple human genes back to a healthier state, including genes related to antioxidant defense, brain health, lung and skin regeneration. In this paper, we present GHK-Cu’s epigenetic effects on MCF7 breast cancer cells and PC3 prostate cancer cells relevant to anti-cancer and anti-metastatic effects of GHK. We demonstrate how GHK’s anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, antioxidant and gene-modifying actions make GHK-Cu promising novel therapeutics with implications in anti-cancer therapy. SN - 2577-5790 UR - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.genet.2102128 DO - 10.21926/obm.genet.2102128 ID - Pickart2021 ER -