title: Silica nanoparticles sensitize human multiple myeloma cells to snake (Walterinnesia aegyptia) venom-induced apoptosis and growth arrest.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple myeloma (MM), an almost incurable disease, is the second most common blood cancer. Initial chemotherapeutic treatment could be successful; however, resistance development urges the use of higher toxic doses accompanied by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The establishment of more effective treatments that can overcome or circumvent chemoresistance has become a priority. We recently demonstrated that venom extracted from Walterinnesia aegyptia (WEV) either alone or in combination with silica nanoparticles (WEV+NPs) mediated the growth arrest and apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of WEV alone and WEV+NP on proliferation and apoptosis of MM cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The impacts of WEV alone and WEV+NP were monitored in MM cells from 70 diagnosed patients. The influences of WEV and WEV+NP were assessed with flow cytometry analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WEV alone and WEV+NP decreased the viability of MM cells. Using a CFSE proliferation assay, we found that WEV+NP strongly inhibited MM cell proliferation. Furthermore, analysis of the cell cycle using the propidium iodide (PI) staining method indicated that WEV+NP strongly altered the cell cycle of MM cells and enhanced the induction of apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data reveal the biological effects of WEV and WEV+NP on MM cells that enable these compounds to function as effective treatments for MM.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut 171515, Egypt.
authors.forename: Douaa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sayed
authors.forename: Mohamed K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Al-Sadoon
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Badr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017815:Elapidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004546:Elapid Venoms; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D020169:Caspases