Role of Tigecycline in radiation sensitivity in colorectal cancer cell line

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Despite the availability of conventional treatment options, challenges such as limited therapeutic alternatives and poor prognosis persist. Tigecycline is an inhibitor drug that blocks mitochondria-related proliferation in cancer cells and may enhance disease-free survival. We examined how Tigecycline plus radiotherapy affects CRC cell growth. Additionally, the study evaluated the expression of cancer cell markers and related genes. HCT-116 colorectal cancer cell lines were treated with the IC50 dose of Tigecycline and subsequently exposed to radiation. To evaluate the proliferation rate after treatment with IC50 dose, Ki-67 expression was analyzed using flow cytometry. Finally, the expression levels of cancer cell markers CD44 and the related genes SOX2 and OCT4 were analyzed. The results showed that Tigecycline reduced HCT-116 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. IC50 dose of determined 93 um. Although the expression level of CD44 decreased significantly in the combination therapy groups, no significant difference was observed in Ki-67 expression among the treatment groups. Data are representative of three independent experiments. *P < 0.05. The findings suggest that combining Tigecycline with radiotherapy may have potential as a complementary strategy for colorectal cancer treatment, warranting further investigation.