AI Article Synopsis
- Artemisinin produces harmful free radicals when it reacts with iron, and its toxic effects are more pronounced in cancer cells due to their higher levels of intracellular iron.
- The study developed a resistant Molt-4 cell line (RTN) to dihydroartemisinin (DHA) after exposing it to increasing DHA concentrations, finding that the RTN cells tolerate higher doses, showing growth rates significantly faster than standard Molt-4 cells.
- Despite the development of resistance to DHA in RTN cells, they did not exhibit cross-resistance to two other synthetic artemisinin compounds, suggesting alternative treatment options may remain effective.
Article Abstract
Artemisinin generates cytotoxic free radicals when it reacts with iron. Its toxicity is more selective toward cancer cells because cancer cells contain a higher level of intracellular-free iron. We previously reported that dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an active metabolite of artemisinin, has selective cytotoxicity toward Molt-4 human lymphoblastoid cells. A concern is whether cancer cells could develop resistance to DHA after repeated administration, thus limiting its therapeutic efficacy. In the present study, we developed a DHA-resistant Molt-4 cell line (RTN) by exposing Molt-4 cells to gradually increasing concentrations of DHA in vitro. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DHA for RTN cells is 7.1-times higher than that of Molt-4 cells. RTN cells have a higher growth rate than Molt-4 cells. In addition, we investigated the toxicities of two more potent synthetic artemisinin compounds, artemisinin dimer-alcohol and artemisinin-tagged holotransferrin toward RTN cells; RTN cells showed no significant cross-resistance to these compounds.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!