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Updated: May 28, 2026

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: February 6, 2015
Suppression of BCL-2 synergizes cisplatin sensitivity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells
Soon Yang Low1, Boon Shing Tan, Heng Lungh Choo
1School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Abstract:
The efficacy of cisplatin for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is limited by the dose-related toxicities and the development of resistance to cisplatin. Recent studies have shown that B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) is overexpressed and confers chemoresistance in NPC. Thus, targeted therapy against BCL-2 may enhance the antitumour effects of chemotherapy by sensitizing the tumor cells to undergo apoptosis. This study evaluated the combined effects of BCL-2 inhibition and cisplatin in NPC cells. Our results demonstrate that inhibition of BCL-2 by small-hairpin RNA (shRNA) or the BCL-2 inhibitor YC137, synergizes cisplatin sensitivity in NPC cells that overexpress BCL-2. We also show that YC137 enhance cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HK1 and CNE1 cells through suppression of BCL-2 protein expression, induction of mitochondrial depolarization and activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3/7. These findings suggest that the combination of BCL-2 inhibition and cisplatin represents a promising strategy for treating NPC.
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