Antineoplastic effect of doxorubizen in vitro in continuous and primary human anaplastic thyroid cancer cells

Giusy Elia, Silvia Martina Ferrari, Iryna Tkachenko, Dipak Walunj, Eugenia Balestri, Chiara Botrini, Francesca Ragusa, Alessandro Antonelli, Gary Gellerman, Poupak Fallahi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: New drugs are needed for the therapy of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). This study aims to investigate doxorubizen (a dual-action structural hybrid (chimera) of doxorubicin (Dox) and DNA methylating drug temozolomide), in comparison with Dox, and alone or in combination with lenvatinib in ATC 8305C cells, and in primary human ATC cell cultures (pATC). Methods: We have investigated doxorubizen, Dox, and lenvatinib on 5 different pATC and in continuous 8305C cell line in vitro, evaluating their effect on cells proliferation by WST-1, apoptosis (Hoechst ad Annexin V assays) and migration (Chemicon QCM™ 96-well Migration Assay). Results: The results have demonstrated: (1) a significant antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect of doxorubizen in 8305C and in pATC; (2) a significant antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect of Dox in pATC, and in 8305C; (3) the antineoplastic effect of lenvatinib in 8305C and in pATC; (4) a stronger antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect of doxorubizen than that of Dox, or lenvatinib; (5) that doxorubizen induced an inhibition of migration in pATC stronger than that of Dox, or lenvatinib; (6) that doxorubizen is able to synergize in vitro with lenvatinib increasing the antiproliferative effect, while doxorubizen alone is the primary factor that promotes the proapoptotic impact. Conclusion: We have first shown that doxorubizen has a potent antineoplastic effect in vitro in 8305C and in 5 different pATC, and that can synergize with lenvatinib. These results open the way to a future evaluation of the antineoplastic effect of doxorubizen in ATC patients.

Original languageEnglish
Article number17
Pages (from-to)1050-1059
Number of pages10
JournalEndocrine
Volume87
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2025

Keywords

  • Anaplastic thyroid cancer
  • Doxorubizen
  • Primary cell cultures
  • in vitro study

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Antineoplastic effect of doxorubizen in vitro in continuous and primary human anaplastic thyroid cancer cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this