title: The bacterial protein azurin enhances sensitivity of oral squamous carcinoma cells to anticancer drugs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgical therapy is the primary treatment for oral cancer, but it can cause facial distortion. Therefore, if anticancer drugs are effective against oral cancer, they may be used preferentially. However, oral squamous carcinoma cells (OSCCs) are resistant to these drugs, so finding a way to enhance the sensitivity of these cells to anticancer drugs is important. The bacterial protein azurin is known to selectively enter cancer cells and induce apoptosis. In this study, we show the anticancer effect of azurin in OSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  OSCC cell line (YD-9) was subjected to azurin treatment. Cell viability, morphology and protein expression levels were monitored after treatment of azurin. Cells were also subjected to combination treatment of azurin with either 5-fluorouracil or etopside.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Azurin-treated cells showed decreased cell viability accompanied by apoptotic phenotypes including morphological change, DNA breakage, and increases in p53 and cyclin B1 protein levels. Combination treatment of azurin with other anti-tumor agents caused an increase in sensitivity to anticancer drugs in azurin-treated YD-9 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Azurin has a strong synergistic anticancer effect on oral cancer cells when it is used along with anticancer drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Anatomy and Cell Biology School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Hae
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Moo-Hyung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yun-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Bong-Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gyoo-Cheon
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001400:Azurin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D056744:Cyclin B1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C534699:CCNB1 protein, human; D056744:Cyclin B1; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D001400:Azurin; D005047:Etoposide; D005472:Fluorouracil