The Antineoplastic Effect of Dimethyl Fumarate on Virus-Negative Merkel Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines: Preliminary Results

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, difficult-to-treat skin cancer once immunotherapy has failed. MCC is associated either with the clonal integration of the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) or mutagenic UV-radiation. Fumaric acid esters, including dimethyl fumarate (DMF), have been shown to inhibit cell growth in cutaneous melanoma and lymphoma. We aimed to explore the effects of DMF on MCPyV-negative MCC cell lines. Three MCC cell lines (MCC13, MCC14.2, and MCC26) were treated with different doses of DMF. The cytotoxic effects and cell proliferation were assessed by the MTT cytotoxicity assay and BrdU proliferation assay at different time points. A significant reduction in cell viability and proliferation were demonstrated for all the cell lines used, with DMF proving to be effective.