Background: Epanorin (EP) is a secondary metabolite of the Acarospora lichenic species. EP has been found in lichenic extracts with antimicrobial activity, and UV-absorption properties have been described for closely related molecules; however, its antiproliferative activity in cancer cells has not yet been explored. It has been hypothesized that EP inhibits cancer cell growth. MCF-7 breast cancer cells, normal fibroblasts, and the non-transformed HEK-293 cell line were exposed to increasing concentrations of EP, and proliferation was assessed by the sulforhodamine-B assay. Results: MCF-7 cells exposed to EP were examined for cell cycle progression using flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation was examined using the TUNEL assay. In addition, EP's mutagenic activity was assessed using the Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay. The data showed that EP inhibits proliferation of MCF-7 cells, and it induces cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 through a DNA fragmentation-independent mechanism. Furthermore, EP's lack of overt cytotoxicity in the normal cell line HEK-293 and human fibroblasts in cell culture is supported by the absence of mutagenic activity of EP. Conclusion: EP emerges as a suitable molecule for further studies as a potential antineoplastic agent.

El propósito de este estudio mixto concurrente fue describir y comprender el uso de los significados atribuidos a las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación de las personas mayores de la comuna de Valparaíso, Chile. Se aplica un abordaje metodológico que contempla técnicas mixtas de recolección de datos. En la etapa cuantitativa se aplicó un instrumento a una muestra probabilística para medir el uso de estas tecnologías, evidenciando la alta relación entre su uso y nivel educacional, y para la etapa cualitativa, mediante grupos focales, se abordaron los significados y representaciones presentes. Los resultados concluyeron que las personas mayores valoran las relaciones personales directas sobre aquellas mediadas por tecnologías.