Tumor-specific cytotoxicity and type of cell death induced by benzaldehyde.

We have previously reported that sodium 5,6-benzylidene-L-ascorbate (SBA) induced dramatic antitumor activity in inoperable cancer patients, but induced only marginal tumor specificity in vitro. Here the tumor specificity and type of cell death induced by benzaldehyde (BA), a degradation product of SBA, was investigated, using human tumor cell lines (oral squamous cell carcinoma [OSCC], glioblastoma, myelogenous leukemia) and human normal oral cells (gingival fibroblast, pulp cell, periodontal ligament fibroblast). BA showed much higher tumor-specific cytotoxicity than SBA.