Abstract
Background: Effective cancer treatments are among the most challenging research goals in the field. Cancer cells have diverse characteristics, including the ability to suppress antitumor immune responses and resistance to apoptosis. The upregulation of CD73 in cancer cells has been suggested in recent studies, promoting proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis and suppressing immune functions. On the other hand, BV6 can induce apoptosis in cancer cells by suppressing apoptosis inhibitors. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the cancer treatment potential of BV6 and anti-CD73 agents.
Methods: This study was conducted on cancer cell lines, including CT26 (colon cancer) and 4T1 (breast cancer). Cancer cells were treated with anti-CD73 small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) molecules and BV6 drugs. The effect of treatment on cell viability was evaluated using 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and apoptosis test. In addition, the effect of treatment on the expression of target apoptosis-related genes was studied with a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay.
Results: It was revealed that delivery of anti-CD73 siRNA molecules along with BV6 to cancer cells significantly induced cell death. Although the impact of anti-CD73 siRNA monotherapy was non-significant, the combined treatment significantly decreased the expression of genes involved in cell survival while increasing the expression of apoptosis-promoting genes.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest the combined treatment of cancer cells using anti-CD73 siRNA molecules and BV6 as an effective anticancer intervention in vitro. Further studies should be conducted to determine its effectiveness and safety.