The effect of alendronate on proteome of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

Cancer is a life threatening disorder effecting 11 million people worldwide annually. Among various types of cancers, Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a higher rate of mortality and is the fifth leading cause of cancer related deaths around the world. Many chemotherapeutic drugs have been used for the treatment of HCC with many side effects. These drugs are inhibitors of different cell regulatory pathways. Mevalonate (MVA) pathway is an important cellular cascade vital for cell growth. A variety of inhibitors of MVA pathway have been reported for their anticancerous activity. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are members of a family involved in the treatment of skeletal complications. In recent years, their anticancer potential has been highlighted. Current study focuses on exploring the effects of alendronate (ALN), a nitrogen containing BP, on hepatocellular carcinoma cell line using genomic and proteomics approach. Our results identified ten differentially expressed proteins, of which five were up regulated and five were down regulated in ALN treated cells. Furthermore, we also performed gene expression analysis in treated and control cell lines. The study may help in understanding the molecular mechanism involved in antitumor activity of ALN, identification of possible novel drug targets, and designing new therapeutic strategies for HCC.