Glioblastoma is highly aggressive, and the most destructive type of astrocytoma arises from glial cells, the most common and deadliest form of primary brain tumor, resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy. Nanoparticles
C۶۰ fullerene notably stands out among nano-materials, garnered significant attention, and is a promising candidate for targeted therapies and biomedical applications. Although the effect of
C۶۰ fullerene against cancer has been widely studied, the potential effect on apoptosis, ROS and cell cycle arrest has not been addressed in glioblastoma. Aim: Therefore, we investigated the effect of C۶۰ fullerene on apoptosis, reactive oxygen species, and cell cycle arrest in the human glioblastoma U-۳۷۳ cell line. Methods:
Glioblastoma U-۳۷۳ cells were treated with (۰.۵, ۱ and ۲ µM) of
C۶۰ fullerene for ۲۴ hours. Cell proliferation and viability were extracted using an MTT assay. ROS levels were measured using ROS/RNS and DCFD assay.
Apoptosis markers like p۵۳, Caspase-۹, Caspase-۳, ROS marker hydroxynonenal protein and cell cycle arrest p۲۱ protein expressions were analyzed by western blotting. Results: Our findings have suggested that water-soluble
C۶۰ fullerene induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by inducing p۲۱ and activating p۵۳/caspase-۹/caspase-۳ signalling pathways and also induced cell ROS-dependent cell death.
C۶۰ fullerene significantly inhibited cell proliferation and cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. All doses of
C۶۰ fullerene treatment increased hydroxynonenal protein, ROS and NO levels. The results showed that apoptosis was significantly upregulated through the activity of caspase-۹/۳ and p۵۳. In addition, different from C۶۰ properties, ROS levels were dramatically increased, and ROS-dependent cell death was observed. Finally, C۶۰ fullerene induced cell cycle arrest through p۲۱ up-regulation. Conclusion:
C۶۰ fullerene can potentially inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis in U-۳۷۳ cells in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings provide insights into the impact of
C۶۰ fullerene on glioma cancer cells, and C۶۰ may shed light on cancer treatment.