Artesunate induces apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation, stemness, and tumorigenesis of leukemia
Shengmei Chen, Silin Gan, Lijie Han, Xue Li, Xiaoqing Xie, Dian-bin Zou, Hui Sun
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Leukemia is characterized by the presence of highly malignant tumors formed in the hematopoietic system. Artesunate (Art), a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, is commonly used as an antimalarial drug and has been proven to possess anticancer potential. METHODS: . The orthotopic xenograft mouse models were established by using KG1a cells in BALB/c athymic nude mice. Tumor weigh was detected. The protein levels of survivin and Ki67 were detected by immunohistochemistry assays. RESULTS: Art induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation and stemness in a dose-dependent manner. In the meantime, the results exhibited that Art inhibited the growth and stemness of transplanted tumors via the suppression of the MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our present study provides new insights into the mechanisms of Art's anticancer potential in leukemia.