Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38647571›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology2024

Promising anticancer activity of cromolyn in colon cancer: in vitro and in vivo analysis.

Amin Aliabadi, Mohammad Reza Haghshenas, Razie Kiani, Mohammad Reza Panjehshahin, Nasrollah Erfani

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 23% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Deciphering the Role of Mast Cells in HPV-Related Cancers.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. The Potential Role ofMicroorganisms · 2025
    Review
  5. Pro-Tumorigenic Effect of Continuous Cromolyn Treatment in Bladder Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
  6. Review
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 1 institution in 1 country.

Amin AliabadiDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Mohammad Reza HaghshenasShiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Razie KianiShiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Mohammad Reza PanjehshahinDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. panjeshm@sums.ac.ir.
Nasrollah ErfaniShiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. erfanin@sums.ac.ir.
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, Shiraz, Iran ICR-100-500Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran 21962
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeColon cancer is a prevalent cancer globally, representing approximately 10% of all cancer cases and accounting for 10% of all cancer-related deaths. Therefore, finding new therapeutic methods with high efficiency will be very valuable. Cromolyn (C), a common anti-allergic and mast cell membrane stabilizing drug, has recently shown valuable anti-cancer effects in several studies. This study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer activity of cromolyn on colon cancer in vitro and in vivo and to determine values such as selectivity index and survival effect.

methodsHT-29 (colon cancer) and MCF-10 (normal epithelial) cell lines were treated with C and Doxorubicin (DOX; Positive control). IC50 values and the effects of C and DOX on apoptosis were explored using methyl thiazole diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Annexin V/PI Apoptosis Assay Kit. To investigate in an animal study, colon cancer was subcutaneously induced by CT26 cells (mouse colon cancer) in bulb/c mice. Mice were treated with 0.05 LD50 intraperitoneal every other day for 35 days. After the death of mice, tumor volume, tumor weight, and survival rate were evaluated.

resultsC selectively and significantly suppressed the proliferation of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 values for the MCF-10 and HT29 cell lines were 7.33 ± 0.78 μM and 2.33 ± 0.6 μM, respectively. Notably, the selective index (SI) highlighted that C displayed greater selectivity in inhibiting cancer cell growth compared to DOX, with SI values of 3.15 and 2.60, respectively. C exhibited higher effectiveness and selectivity in inducing apoptosis in cancer cells compared to DOX, with a significant p-value (61% vs. 52%, P-value ≤ 0.0001). Also, in mice bearing colon cancer, C reduced the tumor volume (6317 ± 1685mm

conclusionOur study showed that cromolyn is a selective and strong drug in inhibiting the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Based on our results, the efficacy of C in vitro analysis (MTT assays and apoptosis), as well as animal studies is competitive with the FDA-approved drug doxorubicin. C is very promising as a low-complication and good-efficacy drug for cancer drug repositioning. This requires clinical research study designs to comprehensively evaluate its anti-cancer effects.

Indexed as

ApoptosisCell ProliferationColonic NeoplasmsCromolyn SodiumAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsCell Line, TumorDoxorubicinHT29 CellsHumansMiceMice, Inbred BALB CXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysAntineoplastic AgentsCromolyn SodiumDoxorubicinApoptosisColon cancerCromolynDrug repositioning

Identifiers

PMID38647571
PMCPMC11035410
OpenAlexW4395010635

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.