Abstract
BackgroundFlavonoid-rich extracts from the mature roots of Scutellaria baicalensis have been shown to exhibit antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines. We assessed the ability of an ethanolic extract of S. baicalensis root to inhibit the proliferation of malignant glioma cells.MethodsCell lines derived from primary and recurrent brain tumors from the same patient and cells selected for resistance to the chemotherapeutic agent 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) were used to identify antiproliferative effects of this extract when used alone and in conjunction with BCNU.Results and discussionResults indicated that Scutellaria baicalensis not only inhibits cellular growth in recurrent and drug resistant brain tumor cell lines, but also demonstrates an increased inhibitory effect when used in conjunction with BCNU.ConclusionThe results of this study support the efficacy of S. baicalensis as an anticancer agent for glioblastomas multiforme and a potential adjuvant treatment to current chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of both primary and recurrent GBMs. Further studies of the effects of individual flavonoids alone and in combination with each other and with currently used therapies are needed.
Highlights
Flavonoid-rich extracts from the mature roots of Scutellaria baicalensis have been shown to exhibit antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines
The results of this study support the efficacy of S. baicalensis as an anticancer agent for glioblastomas multiforme and a potential adjuvant treatment to current chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of both primary and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
Effects of S. baicalensis on glioma cell metabolic activity The metabolic inhibitory effects of an extract from S. baicalensis were studied in cell lines cultured from paired primary (ME) and recurrent (MER) glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors obtained from a single patient, as well as primary and recurrent cells that have been selected in vitro for resistance to 10 μg/ml of BCNU (ME Drug/MER Drug)
Summary
Flavonoid-rich extracts from the mature roots of Scutellaria baicalensis have been shown to exhibit antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines. An estimated 18,000 new cases of brain and central nervous system tumors are diagnosed each year and approximately 13,000 people die of their disease in the United States alone [1] Those diagnosed with the most malignant form of astrocytoma (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM) have a dismal prognosis. Complete surgical removal of the tumor is typically not achieved due to the infiltrative nature of these tumors and while radiation and chemotherapy kill the majority of the remaining tumor cells, the rapid recurrence of these tumors suggest the presence within the primary tumor of a subpopulation of cells intrinsically resistant to therapy and capable of survival and growth within the tumor bed following therapy [2,3] When these tumors recur, they are typically refractory to additional courses of the same (page number not for citation purposes)
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