Gambogic acid induces apoptotic cell death in T98G glioma cells

Gambogic acid (GA), a natural product with a xanthone structure, has a broad range of anti-proliferative effects on cancer cell lines. We evaluated GA for its cytotoxic effects on T98G glioblastoma cells. GA exhibited potent anti-proliferative activity and induced apoptosis in T98G glioblastoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of cells with GA revealed apoptotic features including increased Bax and AIF expression, cytochrome c release, and cleavage of caspase-3, -8, -9, and PARP, while Bcl-2 expression was downregulated. Furthermore, GA induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in T98G cells. Our results indicate that GA increases Bax- and AIF-associated apoptotic signaling in glioblastoma cells.