Growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in ovarian cancer cells

Abstract

Abstract. Standard therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer is radical surgery followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy using cisplatin and paclitaxel. Unfortunately, some patients relapse after this first line chemotherapy and some patients become platinum-refractory. Therefore, we analyzed two different ovarian carcinoma cell lines for their sensitivity for Á-irradiation and treatment with cisplatin, irinotecan, paclitaxel and gemcitabine. We found that both cell lines were rather resistant against Á-irradiation and treatment with cisplatin and irinotecan whereas paclitaxel and gemcitabine resulted in a considerable reduction of the viability of the cancer cells. Both paclitaxel and gemcitabine treatment resulted in the induction of apoptosis. This sensitivity profile might be due to a particular subset of p53, which reacted with monoclonal antibodies DO-1 and PAb1801 but not with PAb1620 and PAb421. Gemcitabine and paclitaxel are highly efficient in the induction of apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, which express a particular subset of the growth suppressor protein p53. Thus, a sensitivity profile for each ovarian carcinoma seems to be highly recommended before starting treatment.

Biodegradable multiblock poly(N-2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide gemcitabine and paclitaxel conjugates for ovarian cancer cell combination treatment

“…Its triphosphate analog is incorporated into DNA, thereby halting cell division. GEM has demonstrated activity both in vitro and in vivo in ovarian cancer models (Touma et al, 2006; Gallo et al, 2006; Peters et al, 1996) and is currently approved by the US FDA in combination with carboplatin for patients with advanced ovarian cancer who have experienced relapse after completion of platinum-based therapy. It is also currently under clinical investigation in combination with a number of other anticancer agents (Garcia et al, 2012; Hendrickson et al, 2012).…”

Expression of p-Akt in ovarian serous carcinoma and its association with proliferation and apoptosis

“…Despite applied chemotherapies and cytoreductive surgery combined therapies, the five-year survival rate of OSC is only 30–40% ( 2 ). Recent studies have found that ovarian carcinoma is a disease that is characterized by simultaneous excessive cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis, with uncontrolled proliferation and blocked apoptosis playing a crucial role in tumorigenesis ( 3 , 4 ). It is important to study the mechanisms and genes associated with proliferation and apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma, particularly for OSC, which may highlight new gene-therapeutic methods that simultaneously inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of cancer cells.…”

Vitamin K2 as a Chemotherapeutic Agent for Treating Ovarian Cancer

“…Inhibitors of DNA synthesis, such as gemcitabine (Touma et al, 2006), cytarabine (Swinnen et al, 2008), hydroxyurea (Raymond et al, 2001), and aphidicolin (Sargent et al, 1996), are able to inhibit the repair process of platinum-DNA adducts and have been used to increase sensitivity to chemotherapeutic platinum compounds. A phase II study using carboplatin followed by gemcitabine and paclitaxel for the treatment of ovarian cancer patients showed an improvement in therapeutic efficacy (Harries et al, 2004).…”