A Novel Synthetic Compound (E)-5-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyleneamino)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile Inhibits TNF alpha-Induced MMP9 Expression via EGR-1 Downregulation in MDA-MB-231 Human Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is a common malignancy among women worldwide. Gelatinases such as matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 play crucial roles in cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. To develop a novel platform compound, we synthesized a flavonoid derivative, (E)-5-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyleneamino)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (named DK4023) and characterized its inhibitory effects on the motility andMMP2andMMP9expression of highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We found that DK4023 inhibited tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha)-induced motility and F-actin formation of MDA-MB-231 cells. DK4023 also suppressed the TNF alpha-induced mRNA expression ofMMP9through the downregulation of the TNF alpha-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/early growth response 1 (EGR-1) signaling axis. These results suggest that DK4023 could serve as a potential platform compound for the development of novel chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agents against invasive breast cancer.