title: Sensitisation of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells to radiotherapy by Nimotuzumab is associated with enhanced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase.
abstract: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in tumorigenesis and maintenance of cancers, making it a possible therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Nimotuzumab (h-R3), a humanised monoclonal antibody against EGFR, sensitises human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells to radiotherapy. We have investigated the underlying molecular mechanism by treating A549 cells with Nimotuzumab (100 μg/mL) alone or in combination with a single dose of 2 Gy irradiation, and analysing apoptosis and cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry. Nimotuzumab significantly enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis of A549 cells as evidenced by increased cell apoptosis (7.15 ± 0.30%) compared with the control group (1.08 ± 0.25%), Nimotuzumab alone group (4.89 ± 0.30%) and irradiation alone group (5.90 ± 0.15%). Combining Nimotuzumab with irradiation significantly arrested cells in the G2/M phase (43. ± 0.36%) compared radiotherapy alone (18.7 ± 0.35%) and single Nimotuzumab treatment (27.2 ± 0.17%). A combination of Nimotuzumab with radiation increased apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells, suggesting potential development of combinatorial therapy of Nimotuzumab with radiotherapy for lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: The Second Ward of Oncology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-Zi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000077192:Adenocarcinoma of Lung; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D059565:G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D059566:M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C501466:nimotuzumab; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: apoptosis; cell cycle; lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549; nimotuzumab (h-R3); radiation therapy