Valproic acid (VPA) inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in prostate carcinoma via the dual suppression of SMAD4.

Purposes The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in cancer metastasis. Previous studies have reported that valproic acid (VPA) suppresses prostate carcinoma (PCa) cell metastasis and down-regulates SMAD4 protein levels, which is the key molecule in TGF-β-induced EMT. However, the correlation between VPA and the EMT in PCa remains uncertain.