Int J Oral Biol.  2010 Jun;35(2):35-42.

Recombinant Azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induces Apoptotic Cell Death in Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells

• Kim UK
• Jeon HJ
• Lee MH
• Kim GC

Abstract

The use of bacteria in the treatment of cancer has a long and interesting history. The use of live bacteria in this way however has a number of potential problems including toxicity. Purified low molecular weight bacterial proteins have therefore been tested as anticancer agents to avoid such complications. Oral cancer is a widely occurring disease around the world and these lesions are typically very resistant to anticancer agents. In our present study we investigated the effects of purified recombinant azurin from Pseudomonas (P.) aeruginosa against YD-9 (p53-positive) human oral squamous carcinoma cells. Azurin showed cytotoxic effects against these cells in a dose dependent manner. The cell death accompanied by this treatment was found to be characterized by chromatin condensation and apoptotic bodies. Azurin treatment was further found to increase the expression of p53 The stabilization of p53 and induction of apoptosis in YD-9 cells by azurin suggests that it has potentially very strong anticancer properties in oral squamous carcinoma.

Keyword

Pseudomonas aeruginosa; azurin; oral squamous carcinoma; apoptosis

MeSH Terms

Antineoplastic Agents
Apoptosis
Azurin
Bacteria
Bacterial Proteins
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Cell Death
Chromatin
Humans
Molecular Weight
Mouth Neoplasms
Pseudomonas
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Antineoplastic Agents
Azurin
Bacterial Proteins
Chromatin