Combinational therapy of cervical cancer consisting of probiotic particles and vincristine: a molecular in vitro study
Cervical cancer remains a major global health concern and ranks among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in women. Although Vincristine Sulfate is a clinically established chemotherapeutic agent with potent anti-mitotic activity, its therapeutic utility is often restricted by dose-dependent toxicities and off-target effects. Recent evidence suggests that probiotics such as Lactobacillus fermentum may possess anti-tumor properties and could enhance the efficacy of conventional therapies. This study was designed to investigate whether co-administration of Lactobacillus fermentum could potentiate the anti-cancer effects of Vincristine Sulfate in HeLa cervical cancer cells, potentially allowing for a reduction in the effective chemotherapeutic dose. Lactobacillus fermentum was isolated from traditional dairy products and identified via molecular techniques. HeLa cells were treated with L. fermentum, Vincristine Sulfate, or a combination of both. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, while apoptosis was quantified through Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and flow cytometry. Quantitative real-time PCR was employed to evaluate the expression of genes involved in apoptosis and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. To evaluate the safety of bacterial treatment, L. fermentum was also tested on normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using the MTT assay. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC