Anticancer effect of thalidomide in vitro on human osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma is a high‑grade malignant tumor frequently found in children and adolescents. Thalidomide has been reported for treatment of various malignancies. Thalidomide was added to osteosarcoma cells and studied by cytotoxicity assay, evaluating apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the expression of Bcl‑2, Bax, caspase‑3 and NF‑κB. The results showed that thalidomide could inhibit the proliferation of MG‑63 and U2OS cells in a concentration‑ and time‑dependent manner. Morphological changes of apoptosis were also observed. Thalidomide increased the apoptosis rate of MG‑63 cells and induced cell cycle arrest by increasing the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase and decreasing the percentage of S phase in MG‑63 cells. Further investigation showed that a disruption of ΔΨm and upregulation of ROS were induced by thalidomide in high concentration. By western blot analysis, thalidomide resulted in the decreasing expression of Bcl‑2 and NF‑κB, and the increasing expression of Bcl‑2/Bax and caspase‑3. Here, we provide evidence that thalidomide could cause apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells. Taken together, these results indicate that thalidomide could be an antitumor drug in the therapy of osteosarcoma.