Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41869576›Full record

ArticleCancer management and research2026

Saikosaponin D Induced Apoptosis and Anti-Tumor Effect Enhancing Chemotherapy Sensitivity of Gemcitabine in Patient-Derived Cholangiocarcinoma Organoids.

Bing Han, Guoqiang Xing, Kunkun Du, Yanxia Li, Min Liu, Jie Zheng, Shoufeng Wang, Canming Li, Shupeng Zhang, Chunyan Zhang and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer management and research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Bing Han *Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0000-8361-4750
Guoqiang Xing *Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Kunkun Du *Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0001-2819-3786
Yanxia LiTianjin Key Laboratory of Epigenetics for Organ Development of Premature Infants, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Min LiuDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Jie ZhengDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Shoufeng WangDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Canming LiDepartment of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Shupeng ZhangDepartment of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Chunyan ZhangDepartment of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Xiaozhi LiuTianjin Key Laboratory of Epigenetics for Organ Development of Premature Infants, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-5640-4472
Zhijiang ShaoDepartment of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0003-0493-7469
Wenhan WuDepartment of General Surgery, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options and poor survival rates, poses an urgent clinical challenge necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. Saikosaponin D (SSd), a bioactive compound derived from Methods: Four PDCO models were established from surgical tumor tissues and metastatic ascites of CCA patients. Histological, immunohistochemical (Cytokeratin 7, Cytokeratin 19 and Ki-67), and immunofluorescence analyses validated the fidelity of organoids to the primary tumors. Drug sensitivity testing evaluated SSd (0.001-50µM) and gemcitabine alone or in combination (ratios 1:1, 1:2, 1:4) using dose-response curves and combination index (CI) analysis. Apoptosis mechanisms were assessed via TUNEL staining, caspase-3 activity assays, and the JC-1 assay for the mitochondrial membrane potential. Results: SSd exhibited dose-dependent growth inhibition across PDCOs, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 0.9µM to 13µM. Gemcitabine showed IC50 values spanning 0.03µM to 11.1µM. Notably, the SSd-gemcitabine combination at 1:4 ratio demonstrated synergistic effects (CI=0.0005), significantly reducing organoid viability. Ascites-derived PDCOs (eg, CCA182) displayed lower sensitivity to SSd, correlating with prior chemotherapy exposure. Apoptosis induction by SSd was confirmed through increased TUNEL-positive cells, elevated caspase-3 activity, and mitochondrial depolarization. Histological and molecular profiles of PDCOs closely mirrored those of the primary tumors, preserving spatial heterogeneity (eg, glandular structures in tissue-derived PDCOs vs compact morphology in ascites-derived models). Conclusion: The combination of SSd and gemcitabine exerts a synergistic antitumor effect in patient-derived cholangiocarcinoma organoids through activating caspase-3 and triggering mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated apoptosis.

Indexed as

apoptosisgemcitabinepatient-derived cholangiocarcinoma organoidsPDCOsSaikosaponin DSSdsynergistic effect

Identifiers

PMID41869576
PMCPMC13005213

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