Long-term hydrogen peroxide exposure potentiates anoikis resistance and anchorage-independent growth in lung carcinoma cells

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is upregulated in tumour microenvironments and may contribute to effects on metastatic cancer cells. This study demonstrates that treatment of lung carcinoma and melanoma cells with H₂O₂ for 14 days results in an induction of anoikis resistance and growth in an anchorage-independent condition. H₂O₂ exposure increased the Cav-1 (caveolin-1) level through an increase of Cav-1 mRNA with minimal effect on protein degradation. Upregulation of Cav-1 induced anoikis resistance and facilitated growth in a detached manner. The findings show a novel role of hydrogen peroxide in the regulation of metastatic potential of cancer cells.