title: Antiproliferative and synergistic effect of interferon alpha-2a, retinoids and their association in established human cancer cell lines.
abstract: The effect of 13-cis-retinoic acid (cRA) and all-trans-retinoic acid (tRA) used alone or in combination with interferon alpha-2a (alpha-IFN 2a) was tested on three established human cell lines: KB (epidermoid carcinoma of the oral cavity), SCC-25 (tongue squamous cell carcinoma) and MCF-7 (mammary carcinoma). Both retinoids significantly decreased cell proliferation (growth curves) and colony forming efficiency (CFE) in all cell lines, in a dose-dependent way (at a concentration ranging from 10(-5) to 10(-9) M) and differing from line to line, following the pattern: MCF-7 > SCC-25 > KB. Retinoids at any concentration (already at 10(-7) M) combined with alpha-IFN 2a (ranging from 100 to 500 IU/ml) were more effective in inhibiting cell proliferation than each of the two compounds alone. This was particularly evident with SCC-25 cells. Concerning MCF-7 cells, on the contrary, the effects produced by the association suggested a possible additive more than synergistic amplification of growth inhibition.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Cancer Research-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monteghirfo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tasso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolò
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spadini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molina
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014212:Tretinoin; D015474:Isotretinoin