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Published on: June 13, 2020
Anticancer effects of licofelone (ML-3000) in prostate cancer cells
Narayanan K Narayanan1, Dominic Nargi, Mukundan Attur
1Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA. nnarayan@env.med.nyu.edu
Background:
Licofelone, a potent antiinflammatory agent has been reported to interfere with the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) signaling pathways with few side-effects. However, the underlying mechanism of licofelone against human cancer is not understood.
Materials And Methods:
Human and mouse prostate cancer cells were exposed to licofelone in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cell growth/cell viability, apoptosis, and expression of COX-2 and 5-LOX at the gene and protein levels were investigated.
Results:
For the first time, it was demonstrated that licofelone inhibited prostate cancer cell growth and significantly down-regulated COX-2 and 5-LOX expression. A weak inhibitory effect on COX-1 protein was also observed.
Conclusion:
Licofelone inhibited COX-2 and 5-LOX simultaneously and prevented overall cancer cell growth by enhancing apoptosis in both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Validating the dual role of licofelone in animal models of prostate cancer is critical for promoting its use as a potential chemopreventive or therapeutic agent.
