Inula Viscosa Extracts Induces Telomere Shortening and Apoptosis in Cancer Cells and Overcome Drug Resistance

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Telomerase activation is common in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cervical cancer.
• Targeting telomeres presents a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
• Inula viscosa L. extracts are being investigated for their medicinal properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the telomere targeting, cytotoxic, and pro-apoptotic effects of Inula viscosa L. hexane (IV-HE) and dichloromethane (IV-DF) fractions.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these extracts on human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and SiHa).
• To assess the potential of these extracts in overcoming drug resistance and inducing apoptosis.

Main Methods:

• Cell growth inhibition assays were performed on HeLa and SiHa cells.
• Telomere targeting was assessed using telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and telomere length assays.
• Apoptosis was evaluated through annexin-V labeling and caspase-3 activity measurements.

Main Results:

• IV-HE and IV-DF extracts inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner.
• Extracts effectively inhibited telomerase activity and induced telomere shortening.
• Increased sensitivity to extracts was observed in fibroblasts expressing telomerase.
• Apoptosis was induced, as evidenced by increased annexin-V labeling and caspase-3 activity.
• Drug resistance factor was less than 2 in treated cell lines.

Conclusions:

• IV-HE and IV-DF extracts from Inula viscosa L. demonstrate significant anticancer activity against cervical cancer cells.
• These extracts target telomeres, inhibit telomerase, induce apoptosis, and overcome drug resistance.
• This study provides the first evidence of these specific effects for Inula viscosa L. extracts.
• Further research is warranted to identify the active molecules responsible for the observed anticancer effects.