Iscador Qu inhibits doxorubicin-induced senescence of MCF7 cells

Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 19;7(1):3763. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03898-0.

Abstract

Chemotherapy in patients with inoperable or advanced breast cancer inevitably results in low-dose exposure of tumor-cell subset and senescence. Metabolically active senescent cells secrete multiple tumor promoting factors making their elimination a therapeutic priority. Viscum album is one of the most widely used alternative anti-cancer medicines facilitating chemotherapy tolerance of breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to model and investigate how Viscum album extracts execute additive anti-tumor activity with low-dose Dox using ER + MCF7 breast cancer cells. We report that cotreatment of MCF7 with Viscum album and Dox abrogates G2/M cycle arrest replacing senescence with intrinsic apoptotic program. Mechanistically, this switch was associated with down-regulation of p21, p53/p73 as well as Erk1/2 and p38 activation. Our findings, therefore, identify a novel mechanistic axis of additive antitumor activity of Viscum album and low dose-Dox. In conclusion, ER + breast cancer patients may benefit from addition of Viscum album to low-dose Dox chemotherapy due to suppression of cancer cell senescence and induction of apoptosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cellular Senescence / drug effects*
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects*
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Proteins / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Plant Proteins
  • Doxorubicin
  • viscum album peptide