Tubeimoside II inhibits TGF-β1-induced metastatic progression of human retinoblastoma cells through suppressing redoxosome-dependent EGFR activation

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in retinoblastoma (Rb) patients. Tubeimoside II (TBMS II) is a compound enriched in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Tu Bei Mu. It has been shown to induce cytotoxicity of several types of tumors; however, littler is known about its effect on Rb. This study investigated the influence of TBMS II on TGF-β1-induced metastasis of human retinoblastoma Y-79 and WERI-Rb-1 cells. The data showed that TBMS II significantly inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell adhesion, migration and invasion via reducing TGF-β1-induced oxidative stress in Rb cells. Further findings revealed that TBMS II exerted its inhibitory effect against TGF-β1-induced metastatic progression of Rb cells via suppressing redoxosome-dependent EGFR activation including EGFR phosphorylation and oxidation, and the activation of such signaling attenuated TBMS II's effect. Our study reveals that TBMS II impacts on TGF-β1-induced metastatic progression of Rb cells, and this information may contribute to better understanding the therapeutic potentials of TBMS II on metastatic Rb.