April 16, 2007
AACR On Site Contact: Catherine Donnelly
 

BUFFALO, NY – The combination of allyl isothiocyanate, a constituent of cruciferous vegetables, and cisplatin appears to inhibit cell growth and cause the death of three types of human cancer cells, according to an analysis of research which will be presented by Xiang Ling, PhD, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) at the 2007 centennial meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), April 14-18, in Los Angeles, CA.

“Cisplatin Combination with Allyl Isothiocyanate, a Constituent of Cruciferous Vegetables, Synergistically Increases Cancer Cell Death Through Activation of Caspase 3 and Downregulation of the Antiapoptotic Protein Bcl-2 and Survivin”

Embargoed until Monday, April 16, 8 am

Exhibit Hall, Poster Section – 10; Poster Board − 13

Los Angeles Convention Center

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) occurs abundantly in many commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables such as mustard and horseradish, and is known to inhibit cancer cell growth. Cisplatin is one of the more effective cancer therapeutic drugs for the treatment of many cancers.

Li and his colleagues have determined the combined effect of AITC and cisplatin on cell growth and death in three types of human cancer cells ­– the highly invasive P11/2008 ovarian cancer cell, the HCT116 colon cancer cell, and the MCF-7 breast cancer cell.

Various approaches were used to analyze cancer cell growth and viability, the expression of select cell death regulators and the distribution of different cell state populations after treatment with AITC and cisplatin, either alone or in combination. The combined therapy significantly increased cancer cell death and decreased cell viability in all three types of human cancer cells, compared with either drug alone.

Mechanistically, the AITC and cisplatin combination significantly increased the activation of cell death promoter, caspase-3, and decreased the expression of anti-cell death protein Bcl-2. More importantly, the combined therapy appeared to neutralize the induction of anti-cell death and the drug-resistant protein, survivin, during a single treatment.

Thus, inhibition of both anti-cell death protein Bcl-2 and survivin in cancer cells by the AITC and cisplatin combination at least partially accounts for the synergy of the drug combination, since Bcl-2 and survivin are known to play important roles in cancer cell survival and drug resistance. Further, AITC and cisplatin altered the distribution of different cancer cell state populations which contribute to the arrest of cell growth.

Taken together, these data indicate that combination of AITC and cisplatin significantly increased cancer cell death, compared with either drug alone, thus providing a potential new regimen for cancer treatment.

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. Members include more than 24,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers, health care professionals and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 60 other countries.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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