The Combined Effect of Vulpinic Acid and Doxorubicin in Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells

Year 2024, Volume: 17 Issue: 1, 164 - 173, 28.03.2024

Esma Kübra Kağan Yeniçeri , Ahmet Altay

https://doi.org/10.18185/erzifbed.1376859

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major global health problem that imposes a significant social and economic burden on individuals and societies. Chemotherapy, a common treatment approach, often leads to resistance and unwanted side effects, especially in the advanced stages of the disease. This has led to a search for more effective and less toxic anticancer agents. Lichens, which are associations of fungi and algae, are gaining attention for their potential in cancer therapy. Lichens are rich sources of secondary metabolites with diverse biological effects, including anti-tumor properties. In this study, we summarise the combined effects of vulpinic acid (VA), a lichen acid, with doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic drug, on breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The results of the XTT assay and subsequent Compsyn analysis showed that VA and doxorubicin (Dox), a chemotherapeutic drug, alone exhibited potent anti-proliferative effects in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and interestingly, when used in combination, they produced an antagonistic effect in the same cancer line. These results provide the first example of a study to show what effect the combination of VA and Dox will have on other breast cancer cell lines.

Keywords

Breast cancer, vulpinic acid, doxorubicin, combination effect.

Ethical Statement

Etik kurul onayına gerek duyulmamaktadır.

Thanks

I would like to thank the 100/2000 YÖK Doctoral Project, which financially supported my doctoral thesis in the field of "Natural and Herbal Products/Cosmetics". This study is part of the doctoral thesis. I would also like to thank the Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Basic Sciences Application and Research Center and, Medicinal Aromatic Plants Application and Research Center for all the experiments that were carried out.

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