Abstract
A major treatment approach in ovarian cancer is platinum based therapy. Initially more than 80% of cancer patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer achieve remission with platinum therapy. However, the majority of these patients relapse and develop drug-resistant disease over time. The overexpression of the tyrosine kinase, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) causes this resistance, which can promote cancer cell survival and metastasis. Prior experiments report that Phycocyanin (C-PC), an accessory pigment in the Cyanobacteria spirulina, demonstrates cytotoxicity towards multiple cancer cell lines and enhances cisplatin activity in lung cancer. This study evaluated the ability of C-PC to sensitize the platinum resistant OVCAR-3 cells to cisplatin treatment. Cells were treated with C-PC and cisplatin, and a combination of C-PC and cisplatin. A MTT assay and DNA fragmentation were used to confirm apoptotic cell death. Western blot procedures were used to confirm expression of phosphorylated FAK (pFAK), total FAK, and the key apoptotic proteins p21 and p53 in response to the treatment. The results of the study confirm that C-PC significantly (>50%) enhances the cytotoxic profile of cisplatin in OVCAR-3 cells. The expression of activated pFAK was also significantly reduced in the CPC and CPC+cisplatin treatment groups and this corresponded with increased p53 and p21 expression. These results confirm a role for FAK in mediating cytotoxic effects of CPC in platinum resistant ovarian cancer treatment which can be explored through further study.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Mir Saleem, Dr. Appu Rathinavelu
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-8-2016 1:00 PM
End Date
4-8-2016 5:30 PM
Phycocyanin Enhances the Cytotoxic Profile of Cisplatin in Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells by a Mechanism That is Focal Adhesion Kinase Dependent
Alvin Sherman Library
A major treatment approach in ovarian cancer is platinum based therapy. Initially more than 80% of cancer patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer achieve remission with platinum therapy. However, the majority of these patients relapse and develop drug-resistant disease over time. The overexpression of the tyrosine kinase, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) causes this resistance, which can promote cancer cell survival and metastasis. Prior experiments report that Phycocyanin (C-PC), an accessory pigment in the Cyanobacteria spirulina, demonstrates cytotoxicity towards multiple cancer cell lines and enhances cisplatin activity in lung cancer. This study evaluated the ability of C-PC to sensitize the platinum resistant OVCAR-3 cells to cisplatin treatment. Cells were treated with C-PC and cisplatin, and a combination of C-PC and cisplatin. A MTT assay and DNA fragmentation were used to confirm apoptotic cell death. Western blot procedures were used to confirm expression of phosphorylated FAK (pFAK), total FAK, and the key apoptotic proteins p21 and p53 in response to the treatment. The results of the study confirm that C-PC significantly (>50%) enhances the cytotoxic profile of cisplatin in OVCAR-3 cells. The expression of activated pFAK was also significantly reduced in the CPC and CPC+cisplatin treatment groups and this corresponded with increased p53 and p21 expression. These results confirm a role for FAK in mediating cytotoxic effects of CPC in platinum resistant ovarian cancer treatment which can be explored through further study.
