Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39774458›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the cytotoxic synergistic effect of gemcitabine and arsenic on breast cancer.

Farshid Maleki, Somayeh Handali, Mohsen Rezaei

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. AsCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2025
    Article
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

3 authors.

Farshid MalekiFaculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Toxicology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Somayeh HandaliMedical Biomaterials Research Center (MBRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohsen RezaeiFaculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Toxicology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-6823-2463

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide. A common approach to cancer treatment in clinical practice is to use a combination of drugs to enhance the anticancer activity of drugs while reducing their side effects. In this regard, we evaluated the effectiveness of combined treatment with gemcitabine (GCB) and arsenic (ATO) and how they affect the cell death pathway in cancer cells. Cytotoxic activity of drugs individually or combined against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 was performed by MTT method and isobolographic analysis was used to determine the interaction between these factors. The combination of ATO and GCB showed synergistic anti-cancer activity (CI < 1) in both cancer cell lines. The combination of ATO and GCB induced sub-G1 phase arrest, apoptosis and death rates in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The apoptotic response induced by the combination of GCB and ATO was dependent on caspase 3/7. Combined treatment with mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) reduction and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Co-treatment significantly reduced catalase (CAT) activity in both cancer cells compared to the control group and cells treated with each monotherapy. A significant decrease in cellular GSH was observed in cancer cells treated with ATO and GCB. In addition, migration and invasion were significantly reduced in breast cancer cells treated with the combination of ATO and GCB compared to cells treated with ATO and GCB. In conclusion, the combined treatment of ATO and GCB synergistically increased the anti-cancer activity, and these findings provide an effective approach for the treatment of breast cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing promising results for combination therapy with ATO and GCB in breast cancer.

Indexed as

ApoptosisBreast NeoplasmsDeoxycytidineDrug SynergismGemcitabineMembrane Potential, MitochondrialMitochondriaReactive Oxygen SpeciesAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsArsenicCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansMCF-7 CellsArsenicDeoxycytidineGemcitabineReactive Oxygen Species

Identifiers

PMID39774458
PMCPMC11706501

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.