BACKGROUND/AIM: Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol compound found in a variety of foods, including coffee, tea, cherries, and apples. It has been found by a number of studies to affect the viability of human cancer cells. No study has investigated its effect on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) metastasis or the molecular mechanism underlying its effect on this disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We first used the Taiwanese ESCC cell line CE81T/VGH to create CE81T-M4 cells. Treatment of higher motility cells with chlorogenic acid for 24 h led to inhibition of cell migration and invasion as shown by scratch migration and transwell assays. RESULTS: Western blotting showed that chlorogenic acid halted the activation of EGFR/p-Akt/Snail pathway and suppressed the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Knockdown of either EGFR or Akt inhibited Snail, MMP2, and MMP9 activity as well as cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSION: Chlorogenic acid inhibited cancer cell motility via the EGFR/p-Akt/Snail pathway and could potentially be used to develop an antimetastatic agent for ESCC in the future.
