Acriflavine Inhibits Acquired Drug Resistance by Blocking the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and the Unfolded Protein Response.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is linked to tumor invasion, drug resistance and aggressive disease and this is largely dependent on the cell's microenvironment. Acriflavine (ACF) is an old antibacterial drug recently also suggested as anticancer agent and HIF inhibitor. We wanted to study the effect of acriflavine on EMT in different human cancer models. Pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1) were exposed to TGF-β1 or cobalt chloride (to mimick severe hypoxia) to induce EMT. For our third model we exposed HepG2 liver cancer cells to sorafenib which resulted in development of acquired drug resistance with strong features of EMT and aggressive behavior. These models were morphologically and functionally (invasion assay) characterized. Markers of EMT were determined using qRT-PCR and We

SUBMITTER: Dekervel J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5217771 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature