Antineoplastic Activity of a Novel Nutrient Mixture on Malignant Retinoblastoma Cell Line Y79

M. Waheed Roomi, Vadim Ivanov, Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, Matthias Rath.
Dr Rath Research Institute, Santa Clara, California, USA

Presented at: International Congress of Toxicology, Montreal, Canada, July 15-19, 2007

Published in: International Congress of Toxicology, Carcinogenesis, July 2007, Abstract #PW2.042,page 84

Abstract

Introduction:
Retinoblastoma (Rb), a malignant tumor of the retina affecting children under the age of six, metastasizes to extraocular organs including bone, lung and brain. Currently there is no effective treatment. We previously demonstrated that a unique non-toxic nutrient mixture (NM) consisting of lysine, proline, ascorbic acid and green tea extract has an antineoplastic activity against a number of cancer cell lines both in vivo and in vitro.

Objective:
We investigated the antineoplastic activity of NM on human malignant retinoblastoma cell line Y79 evaluating proliferation, MMP expression and invasion through Matrigel.

Materials and Methods:
Human retinoblastoma cells (ATCC) were grown in RPMI-1640 medium with 20% FBS and antibiotics and treated with NM at 0, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 µg/ml in triplicate at each dose. Cell proliferation was assessed by counting cells stained with trypan blue, invasion through Matrigel, and MMP activity by gelatinase zymography. Cells were also treated with PMA to induce MMP-9 activity

Results:
Rb cells exhibited 25% toxicity to 10-100 µg/ml NM and profound toxicity at 500 and 1000 µg/ml NM. Zymography demonstrated production of only MMP-2. NM at 10-100 µg/ml had no effect on MMP-2, but completely blocked it at 500 µg/ml. PMA treatment did not induce MMP-9. Interestingly, Rb cells were not invasive through Matrigel.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, these results suggest that NM may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of retinoblastoma.