Investigation of the effect of genistein on the antiproliferative and apoptotic activities of irinotecan in human colon cancer cells

Cancer is one of the most dangerous and rapidly spreading diseases today and is among the leading causes of death in the world. Chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic agents used in the clinical treatment of cancer have serious side effects. The use of these agents in combination with herbal compounds can reduce or eliminate side effects and make them more effective at low doses. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic activity of the combination of genistein, a herbal active substance with anti-cancer activity, with irinotecan, a drug used in the clinical treatment of cancer and has serious side effects, on human colon cancer cells and to investigate the effects of this combination on the expression of proteins involved in apoptotic pathways. Colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and Caco-2) were treated with increasing doses of genistein and irinotecan and IC50 doses were determined. The antiproliferative activity of the genistein and irinotecan combination was investigated by cell viability and colony formation assay. The ROS levels in cells treated with the combination of effective doses of genistein and irinotecan were evaluated by DCFD-A analysis and migration wound healing assay. The effects of this combination on the expression of proteins in apoptotic signaling pathways were analyzed by Western blot method. In the light of the findings, it was revealed that the therapeutic effects of the combination of genistein and irinotecan showed significant anticancer effects and had synergistic interaction. The findings obtained in this study suggest that genistein may contribute to the development of treatments that induce apoptosis with high selectivity and efficiency and have minimal toxic effects