TURKISH JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY, sa.50, ss.1-9, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Lung cancer remains a predominant cancer type with high incidence and
low survival rates. Key challenges in its treatment include impaired cellular
mechanisms, notably resistance to apoptosis and altered immune responses. A critical
aspect in this context is the heightened TLR4-mediated signaling, known to promote
cell survival, metastasis, and resistance to cell death, particularly impacting immune
microenvironment regulation. This study focuses on evaluating the impact of TLR4
signaling activation on potential therapeutic strategies.
Methods: Our research utilizes Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound already employed in
mitigating chemotherapy side effects in lung adenocarcinoma, recognized for its
antitumor properties including antiproliferative, antimetastatic, and apoptosis-inducing
effects. However, the effectiveness of CBD in lung cancer cells with elevated TLR4
signaling remains uncertain.
Results: Our findings reveal that the combination of CBD and TLR4 agonist affects
cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and gene expression
related to immune response and extracellular matrix regulation. In lung
adenocarcinoma cells with activated TLR4, CBD shows an increased IC50 value,
reflecting reduced antiproliferative capacity. Furthermore, its efficacy in arresting the
cell cycle and inducing apoptosis is also compromised. The influence on immune
response and extracellular matrix regulation is also altered in TLR4-activated cells.
Conclusions: These results indicate that TLR4 activation significantly diminishes the
antitumor efficacy of CBD. This highlights the importance of considering TLR4 signaling activation in future research on therapeutic agents like CBD for cancer
treatment.