Aripiprazole sensitizes head and neck cancer cells to ionizing radiation by enhancing the production of reactive oxygen species.

ABSTRACT: Drug repositioning is an alternative process for drug development in cancer. Specifically, it is a strategy for the discovery of new antitumor drugs by screening previously approved clinical drugs. On the basis of this strategy, aripiprazole, an antipsychotic drug, was found to have anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the radiosensitizing effects of aripiprazole on head and neck cancer cells at sublethal doses of ionizing radiation (IR) in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with aripiprazole suppressed the growth of head and neck cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner, as evidenced by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Intriguingly, aripiprazole significantly enhanced the sensitivity of these cells to the IC₅₀ dose of IR.

SUBMITTER: Jeong HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9337216 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature