Sensitization of K562 Leukemia Cells to Doxorubicin by theViscum albumExtract
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Nevena Tisma-Miletic; Ksenija Kanjer; Tamara Zoranovic; Milena Cavic; Aleksandra Konić-Ristić; Tatjana Srdic-Rajic; Katarina Šavikin; Danijel Galun
- Source
- Phytotherapy Research. 30:485-495
- Subject
- 0301 basic medicine
Pharmacology
biology
business.industry
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
law.invention
03 medical and health sciences
Leukemia
030104 developmental biology
0302 clinical medicine
medicine.anatomical_structure
Apoptosis
law
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
medicine
Viscum album
Cytotoxic T cell
Doxorubicin
business
Phytotherapy
Sensitization
K562 cells
medicine.drug
- Language
- ISSN
- 0951-418X
Toxicity of conventional chemotherapeutics highlights the requirement for complementary or alternative medicines that would reduce side effects and improve their anticancer effectiveness. European mistletoe (Viscum album) has long been used as a complementary and alternative medicine supporting cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate synergistic antitumor action of V. album extract and doxorubicin during co-treatment of chemoresistant chronic myelogenic leukemia K562 cells. Combined treatment of leukemia cells led to inhibitory synergism at sub-apoptotic doxorubicin concentrations and multifold reduction of cytotoxic effects in healthy control cells. Prolonged co-treatment was associated with reduced G2/M accumulation and increased expression of early and late apoptotic markers. Our data indicate that V. album extract increases antileukemic effectiveness of doxorubicin against resistant K562 cells by preventing G2/M arrest and inducing apoptosis.