TITLE:
Possible Chemosensitizing and Potent Anticancer Effects of D-Fraction in Combination with Vitamin C on Three Prevalent Urologic Cancer Cells
AUTHORS:
Drew Freilich, Eric Moskowitz, Nicholas Feuer, Muhammad Choudhury, John Phillips, Sensuke Konno
KEYWORDS:
Mushroom Extract, Chemosensitizing Effect, Anticancer Effect, Combination Therapy, Urologic Cancers
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.5 No.14,
December
15,
2014
ABSTRACT: Chemotherapy is currently one of the
most common therapeutic options for cancer patients despite the poor efficacy
with considerable side effects. We then examined if D-fraction (DF), a
bioactive mushroom extract, could potentiate (poor) anticancer effects of those
drugsin vitro. Three urologic cancers, prostate, bladder, and
kidney cancers, were tested with various chemotherapeutic drugs and their combinations
with DF. Compared to individual drugs alone, combinations of drugs and DF have
improved anticancer activity, resulting in the significant (P 1cell cycle arrest, which
was also confirmed by the down-regulation of specific cell cycle regulators
(CDK2, CDK4, and cyclin D1) detected on western blots. Moreover, it
was crucial to address if the DF/VC-induced viability reduction could be also
linked to apoptosis. Western blot analysis revealed that anti-apoptotic bcl-2
was down-regulated while pro-apoptotic Bax was up-regulated with DF/VC
combination in all cancer cells, indicating induction of apoptosis. Therefore,
the DF/VC combination could ultimately induce apoptosis, accounting for the
severe cell viability reduction. In conclusion, DF appears to be a promising
agent with chemosensitizing effect, enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic
drugs, and its combination with VC exhibits a potent anticancer effect, which
is far superior to any combinations of drugs and DF tested in three prevalent
urologic cancer cells.