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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Toxicological Assays for Testing Effects of an Epigenetic Drug on Development, Fecundity and Survivorship of Malaria Mosquitoes
Published on: January 16, 2015
Radiosensitization of cervical cancer cells with epigenetic drugs hydralazine and valproate
Purpose:
To evaluate the radiosensitizing effects of the DNA methylation inhibitor hydralazine in combination with valproic acid, a histone deacetylase inhibitor in cervical cancer cells.
Materials And Methods:
Cell viability assays were performed in the SiHa cervical cancer cell line treated with hydralazine and valproic acid for five days with and without cisplatin. Cell irradiation was performed using teletherapy (1.25 MV).
Results:
Neither hydralazine, valproic acid or cisplatin as single agents increased the cytotoxicity from radiation, however, the combination of hydralazine with valproic acid at ten microM and one mM, respectively, did induce radiosensitization (p = 0.046). Interestingly, this effect was further increased with the triple combination of hydralazine, valproic acid, and cisplatin (p = 0.041), where cell viability decreased more than 50% as compared to radiation alone.
Conclusions:
The present results demonstrate that epigenetic drugs increase the efficacy of cisplatin chemoradiation in cervical cancer cells.
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