Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28344640›Full record

ArticleInfectious agents and cancer2017

The effects of antiviral treatment on breast cancer cell line.

Madina Shaimerdenova, Orynbassar Karapina, Damel Mektepbayeva, Kenneth Alibek, Dana Akilbekova

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infectious agents and cancer, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Neuritogenic effects of Ulva lactuca aqueous extract on Neuro-2a cells.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Madina ShaimerdenovaNational Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Qabanbay Batyr Avenue 53, Astana, 010000 Kazakhstan.
Orynbassar KarapinaNazarbayev University Research and Innovation System, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan.
Damel MektepbayevaNational Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Qabanbay Batyr Avenue 53, Astana, 010000 Kazakhstan.
Kenneth AlibekLocus Solutions LLC, Solon, OH USA.
Dana AkilbekovaNational Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Qabanbay Batyr Avenue 53, Astana, 010000 Kazakhstan.
Nazarbayev University · KZLocus Systems (United States) · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecent studies have revealed the positive antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of antiviral agents in cancer treatment. The real effect of adjuvant antiviral therapy is still controversial due to the lack of studies in biochemical mechanisms. Here, we studied the effect of the antiviral agent acyclovir on morphometric and migratory features of the MCF7 breast cancer cell line. Molecular levels of various proteins have also been examined.

methodsTo evaluate and assess the effect of antiviral treatment on morphometric, migratory and other cellular characteristics of MCF7 breast cancer cells, the following experiments were performed: (i) MTT assay to measure the viability of MCF7 cells; (ii) Colony formation ability by soft agar assay; (iii) Morphometric characterization by immunofluorescent analysis using confocal microscopy; (iv) wound healing and transwell membrane assays to evaluate migration and invasion capacity of the cells; (v) ELISA colorimetric assays to assess expression levels of caspase-3, E-cadherin and enzymatic activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).

resultsWe demonstrate the suppressive effect of acyclovir on breast cancer cells. Acyclovir treatment decreases the growth and the proliferation rate of cells and correlates with the upregulated levels of apoptosis associated cytokine Caspase-3. Moreover, acyclovir inhibits colony formation ability and cell invasion capacity of the cancer cells while enhancing the expression of E-cadherin protein in MCF7 cells. Breast cancer cells are characterized by high ALDH activity and associated with upregulated proliferation and invasion. According to this study, acyclovir downregulates ALDH activity in MCF7 cells.

conclusionsThese results are encouraging and demonstrate the possibility of partial suppression of cancer cell proliferation using an antiviral agent. Acyclovir antiviral agents have a great potential as an adjuvant therapy in the cancer treatment. However, more research is necessary to identify relevant biochemical mechanisms by which acyclovir induces a potent anti-cancer effect.

Indexed as

AcyclovirALDH activityAntiproliferative effectMCF7 breast cancer cell line

Identifiers

PMID28344640
PMCPMC5364572
OpenAlexW2600732159

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.