Description
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies and remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Current treatment strategies rely largely on drug-based therapies; however, their effectiveness is often limited due to the rapid development of drug resistance. Consequently, pancreatic cancer continues to have a very poor prognosis, with a five-year survival rate of only about 12%. Therefore, the development of new and effective anticancer treatment strategies is urgently needed.
In previous research marine organisms have shown to be promising sources of bioactive compounds with potential anticancer activity. In this study we investigated the anti-cancer potential of Red macroalgae specimen Obo13 and Obo16 on pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1). Panc-1 cells were treated with algae extract for 48-hourss at a final concentration of ~1.3 % (v/v) or 2.3% (v/v). Control cells received equivalent solvent concentration.
We observed that pancreatic cancer cells treated with Obo13 extract showed noticeable deterioration in cell growth, as demonstrated by crystal violet staining and microscopic imaging across dose escalation ranging from approximately 0.31% to 3.26% (v/v). To determine whether cell death occurred through apoptosis, we analyzed apoptosis markers including cleaved caspase-3; however, no significant changes were detected. In contrast, cells treated with Obo13 exhibited a significant decrease in phosphorylated CDK2 (p-CDK2), a regulator of the G1/S transition and S-phase progression. In addition, phospho-Cyclin B, a key regulator of the G2/M phase transition, was markedly reduced. The proliferation marker Ki-67 also showed decreased protein expression, particularly at the highest treatment concentration.
Collectively, these findings suggest that Obo13 extract may influence key regulators of cell cycle progression and proliferation in pancreatic cancer cells, supporting further investigation of its anticancer potential such as anti-cancer drug resistance.