Carvacrol enhances the sensitıvity of cetuximab in lung cancer cells through inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjp.v20i1.80949

Keywords:

Cetuximab, Carvacrol, Lung cancer, Synergistic Anticancer Effects, Apoptosis

Abstract

The intention of this work was to analyze that carvacrol could enhance cancer-inhibiting potency of cetuximab (monoclonal antibody) in lung cancer cells. The combination of cetuximab and carvacrol was found to co-operatively suppress cell proliferation by enhancing apoptosis and inducing cell cycle arrest in A-549 and H1299 cells. Furthermore, the combination therapy triggered cell death by inducing membrane disruption. The most effective combinations were IC₁₀ cetuximab + IC₁₀ carvacrol for A-549 and IC₂₀ cetuxi-mab + IC₁₀ carvacrol for H1299 (CI = 2.0). LDH activity increased by 101% in A-549 and 239% in H1299 (p<0.05). Caspase-3 activity rose by 1.6-fold in A-549 and 1.4-fold in H1299 (p<0.05). The combination decreased PCNA, topo-isomerase II-alpha, and cyclins D1, D2, E, A, and B (p<0.05). Overall, the com-bination of carvacrol and cetuximab appears to enhance anti-cancer efficacy and may significantly improve therapeutic outcomes in lung cancer cells.

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Published

2025-04-25

How to Cite

Erdogan, Ayse, and Rahime Aybike Koras. “Carvacrol Enhances the sensitıvity of Cetuximab in Lung Cancer Cells through Inducing Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest”. Bangladesh Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 20, no. 1, Apr. 2025, pp. 22-34, doi:10.3329/bjp.v20i1.80949.

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Research Articles