Multiple Active Compounds from Viscum album L. Synergistically Converge to Promote Apoptosis in Ewing Sarcoma

PLoS One. 2016 Sep 2;11(9):e0159749. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159749. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Ewing sarcoma is the second most common bone cancer in children and adolescents, with poor prognosis and outcome in ~70% of initial diagnoses and 10-15% of relapses. Hydrophobic triterpene acids and hydrophilic lectins and viscotoxins from European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) demonstrate anticancer properties, but have not yet been investigated for Ewing sarcoma. Commercial Viscum album L. extracts are aqueous, excluding the insoluble triterpenes. We recreated a total mistletoe effect by combining an aqueous extract (viscum) and a triterpene extract (TT) solubilized with cyclodextrins. Ewing sarcoma cells were treated with viscum, TT and viscumTT in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. In vitro and ex vivo treatment of Ewing sarcoma cells with viscum inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion, while viscumTT combination treatment generated a synergistic effect. Apoptosis occurred via intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, evidenced by activation of both CASP8 and CASP9. We show that viscumTT treatment shifts the balance of apoptotic regulatory proteins towards apoptosis, mainly via CLSPN, MCL1, BIRC5 and XIAP downregulation. ViscumTT also demonstrated strong antitumor activity in a cell line- and patient-derived mouse model, and may be considered an adjuvant therapy option for pediatric patients with Ewing sarcoma.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / therapeutic use
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Bone Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Bone Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Caspase 8 / metabolism
  • Caspase 9 / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Phytotherapy / methods
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / drug therapy*
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / metabolism
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Viscum album*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Plant Extracts
  • Caspase 8
  • Caspase 9

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Software AG-Stiftung (Darmstadt, Germany) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag. EPO GmbH and Birken AG provided support in the form of salaries for authors JR and SJ respectively, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.