ArticleCellular & molecular biology letters2023
Melatonin and erastin emerge synergistic anti-tumor effects on oral squamous cell carcinoma by inducing apoptosis, ferroptosis, and inhibiting autophagy through promoting ROS.
Article in Cellular & molecular biology letters, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 58 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of melatonin for prolonged disorders of consciousness: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial.BMC medicine · 2024Trial
- Fusobacterium nucleatum promotes senescence of human oral mucosa fibroblasts via the Wnt5A/mTOR pathway.Odontology · 2026Article
- Targeting autophagy in oral squamous cell carcinoma chemoresistance: molecular mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and emerging nanotherapeutic approaches.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Tasimelteon inhibits glioma proliferation by inducing ferroptosis via the SP1/ACSL4 pathway.Cellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2026Article
- SPOCK1 acts as a negative regulator of ferroptosis in non-small cell lung cancer.NPJ precision oncology · 2026Article
- Ferroptosis-autophagy crosstalk in bladder cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic implications.Molecular cancer · 2026Review
- Spatiotemporal dynamics of reactive oxygen species: implications for cellular homeostasis and redox therapies.Cellular & molecular biology letters · 2026Review
- NCOA7 promotes OSCC progression by inhibiting ROS-regulated ferroptosis.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026Article
- Ferroptosis reshapes the tumor immune microenvironment: molecular mechanisms, immune regulation, and therapeutic synergistic strategies.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Morusin targeting GDF15 enhances ferroptosis and overcomes cisplatin resistance in NSCLC.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- From molecular crosstalk to precision therapy: targeting ferroptosis and cuproptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Iron homeostasis and macrophage polarization in oral squamous cell carcinoma: mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Metabolic cell deaths in head and neck cancer: mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and challenges.Annals of medicine · 2025Review
- GNPAT/USP30 Stabilizes DRP1 Protein to Promote Mitochondrial Fission and Functional Damage in COPD Progression.The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences · 2025Article
- Review
- Targeting ferroptosis: a novel pathway in oral, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Review
- Regulation of iron metabolism in ferroptosis: From mechanism research to clinical translation.Journal of pharmaceutical analysis · 2025Review
- Melatonin-induced ferroptosis in pancreatic cancer cells by stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibiting alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 2-driven glutamine metabolism.World journal of gastroenterology · 2025Article
- Review
- A highly adhesive and melatonin-loaded PEG hydrogel prevents tumor recurrence and promotes wound healing for tumor-resection wound management of liposarcoma.Materials today. Bio · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOral squamous cell carcinomas are one of the most common cancers worldwide with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with cancer and cause various types of regulated cell death (RCD). Inducing the RCD pathway by modulating ROS levels is imperative to conquer cancers. The aim of this study is to investigate the synergistic anticancer effects of melatonin and erastin on ROS modulation and subsequent RCD induction.
methodsHuman tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC-15 cells) were treated with melatonin, erastin, or their combination. Cell viability, ROS levels, autophagy, apoptosis, and ferroptosis levels were tested according to the results of the PCR array, which were verified with/without the induction and inhibition of ROS by H
resultsROS levels were increased by the administration of melatonin at high concentrations (mM), and the combination of melatonin with erastin enhanced the levels of malonic dialdehyde, ROS, and lipid ROS, and reduced the levels of glutamate and glutathione. SQSTM1/p62, LC3A/B, cleaved caspase-3, and PARP1 protein levels in SCC-15 cells were also increased by melatonin plus erastin treatment, which further increased as ROS accumulated, and decreased as ROS levels were suppressed. Combined treatment of melatonin and erastin markedly reduced the tumor size in vivo, demonstrated no obvious systemic side effects, and significantly enhanced the apoptosis and ferroptosis levels in the tumor tissues, in parallel with decreased autophagy levels.
conclusionsMelatonin combined with erastin exhibits synergistic anticancer effects without adverse reactions. Herein, this combination might become a promising alternative strategy for oral cancer treatment.
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