α-Carotene is a natural carotenoid and precursor to vitamin A, exhibiting antioxidant and potential anti-cancer properties; high dietary intake of α-carotene may reduce prostate cancer risk.

α-Carotene (0.5-2.5 μM, 24 hours) can significantly upregulate the protein levels of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in LLC cells depending on the concentration. α-Carotene (0.5-2.5 μM) also markedly increases PAI-1 protein expression. Furthermore, at 2.5 μM, α-Carotene significantly inhibits integrin β1-mediated FAK phosphorylation, which reduces the phosphorylation levels of the MAPK family [1].
α-Carotene (0.5, 1, 2.5 μM, 48 hours) significantly suppresses the invasive ability of LLC cells in a concentration-dependent manner over the 48-hour incubation period [1].
α-Carotene (0.5, 1, 2.5 μM, 24 hours) significantly decreases the activities of MMP-9, MMP-2, and uPA in LLC cells depending on the concentration [1].
α-Carotene (2, 5, 10 μM, 7 days) inhibits the proliferation of the human neuroblastoma cell line GOTO in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Among these, 5 μM α-Carotene (Daucus carota var. sativus) causes GOTO cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase after 48 hours of treatment, along with a decrease in the mRNA levels of the proto-oncogene N-Myc [2].

α-Carotene monotherapy (5 mg/kg, orally administered twice weekly for an additional 3 weeks) effectively inhibited lung metastasis without affecting the growth of primary tumors [1].