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IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF TWO TYPES OF HYALURONIC ACID’S ANTITUMOR POTENTIAL IN OSTEOSARCOMA CELLS

IOSIF ILIA 1#, DOINA CHIORAN 2#, DANIELA RADU1*, RAUL CHIOIBAȘ 1, IOANA IONIȚĂ 1, CĂTĂLIN MARIAN 1,3, ALEXANDRA SEMENESCU 4,5, ROBERT COSMIN RĂCEA 2,6, RAMONA POPOVICI 2, ȘTEFANIA DINU 2,7, MIRCEA RIVIȘ 2, ANDRADA IFTODE 4,5

1Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timișoara, Romania
2Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 9 Revoluției 1989 Avenue, 9, 300070, Timișoara, Romania
3Centre for Complex Networks Science, Victor Babe ̧s University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timișoara, Romania
4Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timișoara, Romania
5Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041, Timișoara, Romania
6 Multidisciplinary Centre for Research, Evaluation, Diagnosis and Therapies in Oral Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
7Paediatric Dentistry Research Centre, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 9 Revoluției Avenue, 300041, Timișoara, Romania

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Even after the remarkable progress of the last decade, osteosarcoma remains a serious problem on a global scale, mainly affecting teenagers and elderly people. Hyaluronic acid is a ubiquitous polysaccharide in vertebrates and plays important physiological roles in the body, including the regulation of cell proliferation and inflammation. There are a variety of medical applications for hyaluronic acid; recent research has highlighted its role in the mineralization and growth of bones. Following these theoretical considerations, the present study sought to evaluate the antitumor potential of two types of hyaluronic acid in osteosarcoma cells. In order to achieve this goal, the viability and morphology of the cells, the effect on the structure of the nuclei, and the gene expression of some pro- and anti-apoptotic genes were evaluated. The results of the study indicated that hyaluronic acid causes a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and induces changes in morphology and nuclei characteristic of cell apoptosis. Additionally, the highest concentrations tested resulted in an increase in pro-apoptotic genes (Bax and Bad) and a decrease in anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2). In conclusion, hyaluronic acid may represent a possible effective candidate for the treatment of osteosarcoma, but further studies are required in order to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved.