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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Preparation of Mitochondria from Ovarian Cancer Tissues and Control Ovarian Tissues for Quantitative Proteomics Analysis
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Preparation of Mitochondria from Ovarian Cancer Tissues and Control Ovarian Tissues for Quantitative Proteomics Analysis

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Galectin-9 induces apoptosis in OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell through mitochondrial pathway

Seyyed Mehdi Jafari1,2, Ali Nazri3, Mahdi Shabani4

  • 1Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, I.R. Iran.

Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences
|January 5, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Galectin-9 (Gal-9) effectively inhibits ovarian cancer cell viability and induces apoptosis. This anti-tumor effect involves the mitochondrial pathway, increasing reactive oxygen species and caspase activity.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a protein implicated in inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
  • Ovarian cancer remains a significant health concern with a need for effective therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anti-tumor effects of Galectin-9 (Gal-9) on OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cells.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying Gal-9-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Cell viability assessed via MTT assays.
  • Apoptosis evaluated using Annexin-V staining and flow cytometry.
  • Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and caspase-3/6 activities measured.
  • Bax and Bcl-2 protein expression analyzed by western blotting.

Main Results:

  • Gal-9 significantly inhibited OVCAR-3 cell viability.
  • Gal-9 treatment induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells.
  • Gal-9 decreased ΔΨm, increased ROS generation, and enhanced caspase-3/6 activities.
  • Gal-9 upregulated Bax expression and downregulated Bcl-2 expression.

Conclusions:

  • Galectin-9 demonstrates potent anti-tumor activity against ovarian cancer cells.
  • Gal-9 induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway.
  • The findings suggest Gal-9 as a potential therapeutic agent for ovarian cancer.
Keywords:
ApoptosisGal-9OVCAR-3Ovarian cancerReactive oxygen species

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