Determining the Anti-Cancer Effects of Long Pepper and Synthite Green Tea Extract Alone and in Combination with Standard Chemotherapy Using Two and Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Models of Human Glioblastoma and Neuroblastoma​
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Faculty Sponsor
N/A
Proposal
Within the population that is diagnosed with cancer, most infants have neuroblastoma and most brain cancer patients have glioblastoma. Since conventional chemotherapies such as, temozolomide (TMZ) and cisplatin, target cancerous and healthy cells, the prolonged use of this treatment often results in harmful side-effects. Alternatively, natural health products (NHPs) have anti-cancer activity and non-toxic properties. Thus, our research seeks to determine whether Long Pepper Extract (LPE) and Synthite Green Tea Extract (STE) have selective anti-cancer activity in the treatment of neuroblastoma and glioblastoma. Our in-vitro results suggest that LPE and STE selectively induce apoptosis in U-87 Mg glioblastoma and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. When using these extracts in combination with standard chemotherapy, our results demonstrate that STE and LPE enhance the anti-cancer activity of TMZ and cisplatin in-vitro. In-vivo trials were completed to test the effect of STE’s anti-cancer properties on a group of immunocompromised mice that were subcutaneously xenografted with glioblastoma cancer. Our findings did not express a significant difference in tumor size and volume between the control and treatment groups (LPE, TMZ, and LPE & TMZ treated groups). However, our findings suggest that STE alone is able to reduce tumor volume. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models are also being used to mimic in-vivo conditions. If the in-vivo results are similar to our in-vitro results, it could provide a safe alternative to standard treatments for neuroblastoma and glioblastoma.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Determining the Anti-Cancer Effects of Long Pepper and Synthite Green Tea Extract Alone and in Combination with Standard Chemotherapy Using Two and Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Models of Human Glioblastoma and Neuroblastoma​
Within the population that is diagnosed with cancer, most infants have neuroblastoma and most brain cancer patients have glioblastoma. Since conventional chemotherapies such as, temozolomide (TMZ) and cisplatin, target cancerous and healthy cells, the prolonged use of this treatment often results in harmful side-effects. Alternatively, natural health products (NHPs) have anti-cancer activity and non-toxic properties. Thus, our research seeks to determine whether Long Pepper Extract (LPE) and Synthite Green Tea Extract (STE) have selective anti-cancer activity in the treatment of neuroblastoma and glioblastoma. Our in-vitro results suggest that LPE and STE selectively induce apoptosis in U-87 Mg glioblastoma and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. When using these extracts in combination with standard chemotherapy, our results demonstrate that STE and LPE enhance the anti-cancer activity of TMZ and cisplatin in-vitro. In-vivo trials were completed to test the effect of STE’s anti-cancer properties on a group of immunocompromised mice that were subcutaneously xenografted with glioblastoma cancer. Our findings did not express a significant difference in tumor size and volume between the control and treatment groups (LPE, TMZ, and LPE & TMZ treated groups). However, our findings suggest that STE alone is able to reduce tumor volume. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models are also being used to mimic in-vivo conditions. If the in-vivo results are similar to our in-vitro results, it could provide a safe alternative to standard treatments for neuroblastoma and glioblastoma.