Combining metformin and nelfinavir exhibits synergistic effects against the growth of human cervical cancer cells and xenograft in nude mice

摘要: Human cervical cancer is the fourth most common carcinoma in women worldwide. However, emergence of drug resistance calls for continuously developing new anticancer drugs and combination chemotherapy regimens. The present study aimed to investigate anti-cervical effects metformin, a first-line therapeutic type 2 diabetes mellitus, nelfinavir, an HIV protease inhibitor, when used alone or combination. We found that both metformin alone, were moderately effective inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis suppressing migration invasion human cell lines HeLa, SiHa CaSki. When combination, these two acted synergistically inhibit growth cells vitro xenograft vivo nude mice, suppress invasion. protein expression phosphoinositide 3-kinase catalytic subunit PI3K(p110α), which can promote tumor growth, was remarkably downregulated, while suppressor proteins p53 p21 substantially upregulated following combinational treatment vivo. These results suggest clinical use nelfinavir expected have synergistic antitumor efficacy significant potential cancer.