Selective inhibition of human leukemia cell growth and induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by pseudolaric acid B

摘要

Purpose The leukemias account for the largest number of cases of childhood cancer and remain the primary cause of cancer-related mortality among children in the United States. There is a need for novel antileukemia agents due to toxicity and resistant to existing chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, the effects of pseudolaric acid B (PAB) on three human leukemia cell lines, acute promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells, acute lymphoblastic leukemia CCRF-CEM cells, and human chronic myeloid leukemia blast-phase K562 cells were investigated in vitro, compared to normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).