Growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in ovarian cancer cells
Touma, R.; Kartarius, S.; Harlozinska, A.; Götz, C.; Montenarh, M.
International Journal of Oncology 29(2): 481-488
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 1019-6439 PMID: 16820892 Document Number: 601838
Standard therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer is radical surgery followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy using cisplatin and paclitaxel. Unfortunately, some patients relapse after this first line chemotherapy and some patients become platinum-refractory. Therefore, we analyzed two different ovarian carcinoma cell lines for their sensitivity for gamma-irradiation and treatment with cisplatin. irinotecan. and gemcitabine. We found that both cell lines were rather resistant against gamma-irradiation and treatment with cisplatin and irinotecan whereas paclitaxel and gemcitabine resulted in a considerable reduction of the viability of the cancer cells. Both paclitaxel and gemcitabine treatment resulted in the induction of apoptosis. This sensitivity profile might be due to a particular subset of p53, which reacted with monoclonal antibodies DO-I and PAb1801 but not with PAb1620 and PAb421. Gemcitabine and paclitaxel are highly efficient in the induction of apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, which express a particular subset of the growth suppressor protein p53. Thus, a sensitivity profile for each ovarian carcinoma seems to be highly recommended before starting treatment.