Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 7, 2025

Isolation and Purification of Fungal β-Glucan as an Immunotherapy Strategy for Glioblastoma
10:02

Isolation and Purification of Fungal β-Glucan as an Immunotherapy Strategy for Glioblastoma

Published on: June 2, 2023

2.2K

Indirubin exerts anticancer effects on human glioma cells by inducing apoptosis and autophagy

Zhaohui Li1, Han Wang2, Jun Wei3

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China.

AMB Express
|September 25, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Indirubin demonstrates significant anticancer effects against human glioma cells by inducing apoptosis and autophagy. This compound shows potential for treating aggressive brain cancers like glioma with minimal toxicity to normal cells.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Glioma is a globally significant and aggressive form of brain cancer.
  • Increasing glioma incidence necessitates the development of novel and effective treatment strategies.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of potential therapeutic agents is crucial for glioma management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anticancer effects of Indirubin on human glioma cells.
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of Indirubin's action in glioma.
  • To evaluate the potential of Indirubin as a therapeutic agent for glioma.

Main Methods:

  • Cell viability was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
  • Apoptosis was analyzed via Annexin V/Propidium Iodide (PI) staining and Western blotting for apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl-2).
  • Autophagic cell death was investigated by examining the expression of key autophagy proteins (LC3II, ATG12, ATG15, Beclin 1) and cell migration using wound healing assays.

Main Results:

  • Indirubin inhibited the growth of all tested human glioma cells, with the lowest IC50 values observed for U87 and U118 cells (12.5 µM).
  • Indirubin exhibited negligible cytotoxicity against normal astrocytes (IC50 > 100 µM).
  • Indirubin induced both apoptotic and autophagic cell death in U87 and U118 glioma cells, evidenced by increased Annexin V staining, altered Bax/Bcl-2 expression, and elevated levels of autophagy proteins.
  • Indirubin significantly reduced glioma cell migration, suggesting anti-metastatic properties.

Conclusions:

  • Indirubin possesses potent anticancer activity against human glioma cells.
  • Indirubin induces glioma cell death through apoptosis and autophagy.
  • Indirubin demonstrates a favorable safety profile with low toxicity to normal astrocytes.
  • Indirubin's anti-migratory effects indicate its potential as an anti-metastatic agent in glioma treatment.
Keywords:
ApoptosisAutophagyGliomaIndirubin

More Related Videos

Bioluminescence Imaging of an Immunocompetent Animal Model for Glioblastoma09:17

Bioluminescence Imaging of an Immunocompetent Animal Model for Glioblastoma

Published on: January 15, 2016

15.3K
Stereotactic Adoptive Transfer of Cytotoxic Immune Cells in Murine Models of Orthotopic Human Glioblastoma Multiforme Xenografts11:15

Stereotactic Adoptive Transfer of Cytotoxic Immune Cells in Murine Models of Orthotopic Human Glioblastoma Multiforme Xenografts

Published on: September 1, 2018

8.2K

Related Concept Videos

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
7.8K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
5.4K