In vitro study of the anti-cancer effects of artemisone alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents

Development of artemisinin compounds for cancer treatment

“…However, this interaction requires further investigation before implementation. Gravett et al [112] have reported antagonism between artemisinin and oxaliplatin on colon cancer cells, and Riganti et al [165] reported that artemisinin induced doxorubicin resistance in human colon cancer cells. On the other hand, artemisinin compounds have been shown to be toxic towards various multiple drug-resistant cancer cell lines [131,[166][167][168].…”

“…Combination of these compounds with traditional chemotherapeutic agents may achieve a synergistic effect with fewer side effects. Synergism has been reported between artesunate with fotemustine and dacarbazine on human uveal melanoma [99]; artesunate and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor on glioblastoma multiforme cells [162]; artesunate and vinovelbine and cisplatin on human non-small cell lung cancer [101]; dihydroartemisinin and temozolomide on rat C6 glioma cells [163]; artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin with gemcitabine on hapatoma xenograph in mice [8]; Dihydroartemisinin and carboplatin on ovarian cancer cells in vitro and vivo [6]; dihydroartemisinin and gemcitabine on pancreatic cancer xenograft in mice [97]; dihydroartemisinin with cisplatin and cyclophosphamide on lung cancer xenographs in mice [96]; artesuante with lenalidomide on A549 lung cancer cells and MCF7 breast cancer cells (not on HCT116 colon cancer cells); artemisone with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin and thalidomide on human colon and breast cancer cells [112]; and artesunate and the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab [164]. However, this interaction requires further investigation before implementation.…”

“…It is structurally different from the artemisinin derivatives currently used in malaria treatment and has been suggested to be a possible replacement in case resistance develops to the current artemisinin compounds [111]. Recently, artemisone has been tested on several cancer cell lines [112] and found to have more potent antiproliferative effect (mainly in arresting cell cycling) than artemisinin. It also acted synergistically with the chemotherapeutic drugs oxaliplatin and gemcitabine.…”

In vitro anti-cancer effects of artemisone nano-vesicular formulations on melanoma cells

“…Importantly, artemisone is cytotoxic towards cancer cell lines, where in combination with known anticancer agents, is consistently more active than current artemisinins. Activity alone (IC 50 ) against the MJT3 and KM melanoma cell lines were 30 and 6.4 M, making artemisone over an order of magnitude more active than artemisinin [18]. It further appears that combinations of artemisone with known anticancer drugs have a greater potentiating effect on the action of each drug than does artemisinin.…”

Molecular and Celluar Mechanism Studies on Anticancer Effects of Chinese Medicines

“…Moreover, artesunate exhibits anti-angiogenic effect in human ovarian cancer through inhibiting the VEGF receptor KDR/flk-1 expression . Finally, recent study shows that the old member of the artemisinin derivates artemisone also exhibits significant anti-tumor effect (Gravett et al, 2010). These extensive studies reveal the potential of compounds from Herba artemisiae annuae for anti-cancer therapy in clinical practice.…”