Publication Date
Spring 3-23-2026
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
College of Sciences & Mathematics
Department
Biology, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Marilyn Odom, PhD
Presentation Type
Poster
Summary
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, limiting targeted treatment options. Digitoxin, a drug used to treat heart failure and atrial fibrillation through Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition, has demonstrated anticancer effects in TNBC cells, including apoptosis via the NF-κB pathway. This study investigates whether the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and sodium–calcium exchanger contribute to the mechanism of action of digitoxin in TNBC cells. We hypothesize that these transporters mediate digitoxin-induced cytotoxic effects. To test this, MDA-MB-468 cells were treated with digitoxin, and protein localization and expression were analyzed using immunofluorescence and Western blot. Digitoxin treatment resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability. Preliminary data suggest that MDA-MB-468 cells express both the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and sodium–calcium exchanger. These findings support a potential role for ion transporters in mediating the cytotoxic effects of digitoxin in TNBC cells.
Recommended Citation
Sotomayor Quispe, Alyson and Odom, Marilyn PhD, "Role of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and Sodium–Calcium Exchanger in Digitoxin-Induced Cytotoxicity in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells" (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 892.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/892
Included in
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons, Cancer Biology Commons, Pharmacology Commons
