Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2025

Network Pharmacology Prediction and Experimental Validation of Trichosanthes-Fritillaria thunbergii Action Mechanism Against Lung Adenocarcinoma
Published on: March 3, 2023
Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE), a natural polyphenol to increase the therapeutic window for lung adenocarcinomas
E Prades-Sagarra1, F Laarakker1, J Dissy1
1The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Background And Purpose:
Lung cancers are highly resistant to radiotherapy, necessitating the use of high doses, which leads to radiation toxicities such as radiation pneumonitis and fibrosis. Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) has been suggested to have anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in tumour cells, while radioprotective anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects in the normal tissue. We investigated the radiosensitizing and radioprotective effects of CAPE in lung cancer cell lines and normal tissue in vitro and ex vivo, respectively.
Materials And Methods:
The cytotoxic and radiosensitizing effects of CAPE in lung cancer were investigated using viability and clonogenic survival assays. The radioprotective effects of CAPE were assessed in vitro and ex vivo using precision cut lung slices (PCLS). Potential underlying molecular mechanisms of CAPE focusing on cell cycle, cell metabolism, mitochondrial function and pro-inflammatory markers were investigated.
Results:
Treatment with CAPE decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 57.6 ± 16.6 μM). Clonogenic survival assays showed significant radiosensitization by CAPE in lung adenocarcinoma lines (p < 0.05), while no differences were found in non-adenocarcinoma lines (p ≥ 0.13). Cell cycle analysis showed an increased S-phase (p < 0.05) after incubation with CAPE in the majority of cell lines. Metabolic profiling showed that CAPE shifted cellular respiration towards glycolysis (p < 0.01), together with mitochondrial membrane depolarization (p < 0.01). CAPE induced a decrease in NF-κB activity in adenocarcinomas and decreased pro-inflammatory gene expression in PCLS.
Conclusion:
The combination of CAPE and radiotherapy may be a potentially effective approach to increase the therapeutic window in lung cancer patients.
More Related Videos
09:38Establishment and Characterization of Three Afatinib-resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma PC-9 Cell Lines Developed with Increasing Doses of Afatinib
Published on: June 26, 2019
08:03Anticancer Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy with Lung Cancer-Targeted Nanoparticles
Published on: December 1, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Adrenergic Agonists: Mixed-Action Agents
Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine lack a catecholamine group, making them less susceptible to degradation by metabolic enzymes. They have increased oral bioavailability and lipophilicity, resulting in a longer duration of action. Their response is reduced by...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...