Open Access

Electrochemotherapy of radioresistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and tumor xenografts

  • Authors:
    • Martina Niksic Zakelj
    • Ajda Prevc
    • Simona Kranjc
    • Maja Cemazar
    • Vesna Todorovic
    • Monika Savarin
    • Janez Scancar
    • Tina Kosjek
    • Blaz Groselj
    • Primoz Strojan
    • Gregor Sersa
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 9, 2019     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.6960
  • Pages: 1658-1668
  • Copyright: © Zakelj et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Electrochemotherapy is an established local ablative method used for the treatment of different tumor types, including tumors of the head and neck area. Clinical studies have demonstrated a lower response rate of tumors that recur in pre‑irradiated area. The aim of the present study was to explore the response of experimentally induced radioresistant cells and tumors to electrochemotherapy with cisplatin or bleomycin. The radioresistant cells (FaDu‑RR) were established by fractionated irradiation of parental human squamous cell carcinoma cell line, FaDu. We compared the 2 cell lines in response to chemotherapy and electrochemotherapy with cisplatin or bleomycin in vitro and in vivo. Using specific mass spectrometry‑based analytical methods we determined the difference in the uptake of chemotherapeutics in tumors after electrochemotherapy. Additionally, we compared the capacity of the cells to repair DNA double‑strand breaks (DSB) after exposure to the drugs used in electrochemotherapy with the γH2AX foci resolution determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Our results indicate radio‑ and cisplatin cross‑resistance, confirmed with the lower response rate of radioresistant tumors after electrochemotherapy with cisplatin. On the other hand, the sensitivity to electrochemotherapy with bleomycin was similar in both cell lines and tumors. While the uptake of chemotherapeutics after electrochemotherapy was comparable in both tumor models, there was a difference between the cell lines in capacity to repair DNA DSB‑the radioresistant cells had a lower level of DSB and faster DNA repair rate after exposure to both, cisplatin or bleomycin. Due to the higher complete response rate after electrochemotherapy with bleomycin than with cisplatin, we conclude that the results favor bleomycin‑over cisplatin‑based electrochemotherapy for treatment of radioresistant tumors and/or tumors that regrow after radiotherapy.
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March-2019
Volume 41 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Zakelj MN, Prevc A, Kranjc S, Cemazar M, Todorovic V, Savarin M, Scancar J, Kosjek T, Groselj B, Strojan P, Strojan P, et al: Electrochemotherapy of radioresistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and tumor xenografts. Oncol Rep 41: 1658-1668, 2019
APA
Zakelj, M.N., Prevc, A., Kranjc, S., Cemazar, M., Todorovic, V., Savarin, M. ... Sersa, G. (2019). Electrochemotherapy of radioresistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and tumor xenografts. Oncology Reports, 41, 1658-1668. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.6960
MLA
Zakelj, M. N., Prevc, A., Kranjc, S., Cemazar, M., Todorovic, V., Savarin, M., Scancar, J., Kosjek, T., Groselj, B., Strojan, P., Sersa, G."Electrochemotherapy of radioresistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and tumor xenografts". Oncology Reports 41.3 (2019): 1658-1668.
Chicago
Zakelj, M. N., Prevc, A., Kranjc, S., Cemazar, M., Todorovic, V., Savarin, M., Scancar, J., Kosjek, T., Groselj, B., Strojan, P., Sersa, G."Electrochemotherapy of radioresistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and tumor xenografts". Oncology Reports 41, no. 3 (2019): 1658-1668. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.6960