assessing the protective role of wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell secretomes in inducing apoptosis in skbr3 breast carcinoma cells

Background: breast carcinoma (bc) is the most prevalent form of cancer in women and is classified into various subtypes based on the expression of er, pr, and human epidermal growth factor 2 (her2) receptors. human epidermal growth factor 2-positive bc, in particular, presents significant challenges due to its aggressiveness and limited treatment options. modulating apoptotic pathways is crucial for reducing tumor burden and enhancing treatment efficacy. objectives: this study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of secretomes derived from wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (wj-msc secretomes) on the proliferation of the skbr3 cell line, as well as the subsequent changes in apoptosis-related gene expression after treatment. the research provides new insights into the therapeutic potential of wj-msc secretomes for her2-positive bc. methods: skbr3 cells were exposed to wj-msc secretomes at doses of 10, 25, and 50 μg/ml for 24 and 48 hours. mtt assays and colony formation assays were used to evaluate cell viability, while annexin v/pi staining and mrna expression analyses were conducted to assess apoptosis. results: treatment with wj-msc secretomes led to a significant, concentration- and time-dependent reduction in colony numbers and cell viability in the 25 and 50 μg/ml groups. early and late apoptotic indices increased significantly in the 25 μg/ml group, with p-values of < 0.01 and < 0.05, respectively. the mrna expression levels of caspase-9 (p < 0.001), caspase-3 (p < 0.05), and the bax/bcl-2 ratio (p < 0.01) significantly increased in the 25 μg/ml treatment group. caspase-8 activity was unaffected by wj-msc secretomes. conclusions: wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells secretomes demonstrate potential as an anticancer agent for her2-positive bc, acting through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. this study is the first to detail the specific effects of wj-msc secretomes on her2-positive skbr3 cells, suggesting their novel application in targeted breast cancer therapy.