The effect of temozolomide in combination with doxorubicin in glioblastoma cells in vitro

ABSTRACT

Background

Prior to 2000, the DNA alkylating agents nitrosoureas were used as standard treatment of glioblastoma. Current treatments for glioblastoma patients consist of surgery followed by radiation in combination with temozolomide. Despite therapeutic advances, the prognosis for glioblastoma patients remains grim, with a five-year overall survival below 15%. In this study, our team analyzed the interaction between temozolomide and doxorubicin in a glioblastoma cell line, in vitro.

Materials and method

The cell line, established from a patient who underwent surgery at the “Bagdasar Arseni Emergency Hospital”, was exposed to 10 µM and 100 µM of temozolomide and 10 nM and 100 nM of doxorubicin, respectively, over a period of 7, 10 and 14 days, in monotherapy and in combination.

Results

The results showed that both temozolomide (66.5% cytotoxicity for the 10 µM dose at 14 days) de and doxorubicin (66.8% cytotoxicity for the 10 nM dose after 14 days) were very effective in killing cancer cells in monotherapy, but failed to produce a synergistic effect when used in combination.

Conclusion

While the results may be discouraging, they present an interesting prospect into how certain drug interactions can impact treatment response.

KEYWORDS:

• Temozolomide
• doxorubicin
• glioblastoma
• proliferation
• cytotoxicity

Declaration of interest

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work supported in part by Grant [PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-1041] by the UEFISCDI;