{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T16:12:20Z","timestamp":1790784740535,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"PeerJ","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,28]],"date-time":"2024-11-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1732752000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme","award":["FRGS\/1\/2019\/WAB11\/USM\/03\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FRGS\/1\/2019\/WAB11\/USM\/03\/1"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Natural killer cells (NK cells) are essential in cancer immunosurveillance in the body as they can recognize cancer cells that lacking MHC class 1 on their surface. Regulatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-18, IL-12, IL-10, IL-8, interferon-<jats:italic>\u03b3<\/jats:italic> (IFN-<jats:italic>\u03b3<\/jats:italic>), and secretory granules like perforin and granzyme are involved in NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Stimulating NK cells cytotoxicity towards cancer cells is an ideal strategy to combat cancer naturally. Medicinal plants have been reported to enhance immunity, with <jats:italic>Pereskia bleo<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>P. bleo<\/jats:italic>) particularly noteworthy due to its abundant bioactive compounds and ability to activate immune cells. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of methanol extract of <jats:italic>P. bleo<\/jats:italic> leaves (MEPB) for enhancing NK cell cytotoxicity against triple-negative human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231).<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>\n            <jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>The optimal concentration of MEPB to activate NK cells was determined using healthy blood samples, assessing the expression of IL-12, IL-18, IL-10, IL-8, IFN-<jats:italic>\u03b3<\/jats:italic>, perforin, and granzyme B <jats:italic>via<\/jats:italic> an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). NK cell purity from healthy donors and breast cancer patients was determined using specific antibodies, and the number of NK cells was assessed using flow cytometry and a hemocytometer. A co-culture experiment, ELISA, and apoptosis assay were used to evaluate NK-mediated cytotoxicity pathways.<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>\n            <jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>ELISA data indicated that MEPB at 7.5 \u00b5g\/ml significantly increased the expression of IFN-<jats:italic>\u03b3<\/jats:italic>, IL-12, IL-18, perforin, and granzyme B while decreasing IL-8 and IL-10 expression after 20 hrs of incubation. The average NK cell purity was 87.09 \u00b1 0.043%. Breast cancer patients exhibited lower NK cell counts than healthy donors. Co-culture experiments demonstrated that NK cells induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in the presence of MEPB by increasing perforin, granzyme B, and IFN-<jats:italic>\u03b3<\/jats:italic> expression in both healthy donors and breast cancer patients-experimental groups. <jats:italic>P. bleo<\/jats:italic> enhances NK cell activation, promoting the apoptosis of triple-negative human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), suggesting the potential use of MEPB leaves as an anti-cancer immunostimulant.<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.18420","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,28]],"date-time":"2024-11-28T10:06:23Z","timestamp":1732788383000},"page":"e18420","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["<i>Pereskia bleo<\/i> augments NK cell cytotoxicity against triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231)"],"prefix":"10.7717","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Taif Kareem","family":"Khalaf","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,  Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norzila","family":"Ismail","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,  Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nor Amalia","family":"Nazri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,  Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Naveed","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, 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