Abstract
Background/Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the antitumor potential and combination effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of 20 drip-type classical and molecular-targeted anticancer drugs was examined against 4 human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and 5 human oral normal mesenchymal and epithelial cells. Cell cycle progression was monitored by a cell sorter. Combination effect was evaluated by combination index. Results: Most of the classical anticancer drugs showed much higher antitumor activity than molecular-targeted drugs, except bortezomib. Among 12 classical anticancer drugs, taxanes and gemsitabine showed the highest tumor-specificity (TS) and potency-selectivity expression (PSE) values, whereas platinum analogs showed the least TS value. Combination of two classical or a classical and a molecular-targeted drug showed mostly additive or antagonistic effect. 5-FU and cisplatin did not produce a subG1 population, but induced G2/M or G1/S arrest, regardless of the addition of cetuximab. Cetuximab, nibolumab and bortezomib showed potent keratinocyte toxicity. Conclusion: The present TS monitoring system may provide useful information for building up the treatment regimens of anticancer drugs.
- Anticancer drugs
- human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells
- tumor-specificity
- combination effect
- cell cycle analysis
- hormesis
- Received November 13, 2019.
- Revision received November 19, 2019.
- Accepted November 20, 2019.
- Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved