Anti-parasitic Drug Ivermectin Exhibits Potent Anticancer Activity Against Gemcitabine-resistant Cholangiocarcinoma In Vitro.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The antiparasitic drug, ivermectin (IVM), exerts anticancer activities in diverse cancer types. However, its anticancer activity against cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), especially the drug-resistant phenotype, has not yet been explored.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

IVM was tested for its anticancer activity against gemcitabine-sensitive (KKU214) and gemcitabine-resistant (KKU214GemR) CCA cell lines in vitro using the sulforhodamine B and clonogenic assays as well as cell-cycle analysis.

RESULTS

IVM treatment inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation of both KKU214 and KKU214GemR in a dose- and time-dependent manner. KKU214GemR cells were more sensitive than KKU214 to IVM treatment. IVM treatment caused S-phase cell-cycle arrest and also cell death as indicated by an increase of sub-G0/G1 population in KKU214GemR cells treated with IVM for 48 h.

CONCLUSION

IVM exerts anti-CCA activities and gemcitabine-resistant KKU214GemR cells are more sensitive to IVM treatment. Thus, IVM might be useful as an alternative treatment for CCA, especially in patients who do not respond to gemcitabine.