SW1990

G-6 Combined with GEM Inhibited the Growth of SW1990 Cells

Pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis; gemcitabine (GEM), the standard chemotherapy, shows limited efficacy. Zheng's team previously isolated the novel sesquiterpenoid G-6 (nardoguaianone L) with anti-pancreatic cancer activity. They therefore asked whether G-6 can sensitize SW1990 pancreatic cancer cells to GEM and explored the underlying mechanism.

The chemical structures of G-6 and GEM are shown in Figure 1A. In order to study the toxicity of G-6 combined with GEM against pancreatic cancer cells, the MTT assay was carried out. SW1990, CFPAC-1, Capan-2, and PANC-1 cells are all derived from the human body and have an epithelioid morphology with a high degree of malignancy. MTT assays showed G-6+GEM was most potent against SW1990 (1.35- to 3.39-fold increase in inhibition), modest against Capan-2 and PANC-1, and ineffective on CFPAC-1 (Fig. 1B); SW1990 was therefore chosen for follow-up. Calcein/PI co-staining revealed progressive loss of live (green) and gain of dead (red) cells, confirming the combination's cytotoxicity (Fig. 1C). Microscopy and colony assays showed G-6+GEM suppressed SW1990 growth. Control cells were plump with evenly stained nuclei; after combination, cells appeared bright and granular, with condensed chromatin and shrunken nucleoli (Fig. 2A, B). Colony counts were markedly lower than with single agents or control (Fig. 2C).

The Antitumor Activity of a Co-Assembly Gel with Natural Carrier-Free Binary Small Molecules on SW1990 Cells

Pancreatic cancer, the "king of tumours," progresses rapidly and lacks effective therapies. PUE blocks mTOR-driven glucose metabolism and, together with the anti-inflammatory DAA, forms the basis for testing P-D gel. Cytotoxicity assay (Fig. 3) showed that up to 12.5 μM, neither free P+D nor P-D gel harmed SW1990 cells; both inhibited growth dose-dependently. P-D gel was markedly stronger: at 100 and 200 μM, cell viability fell to 34.66 % and 21.39 % versus 72.43 % and 64.95 % with P+D. Enhanced uptake, lysosomal escape, and sustained release are thought to amplify the synergistic small-molecule pair, echoing TCM compatibility theory.