Apoptotic effect of linifanib on human ovarian cancer OVCAR3 cell line

Background and purpose: Linifanib is a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Although it is widely recognized for its efficacy in inhibiting receptor tyrosine kinases, its anticancer effects in ovarian cancer have not been extensively studied. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of linifanib on human ovarian cancer OVCAR3 cells. Experimental approach: To evaluate cell proliferation capacity, we performed MTT assays, cell counting, morphological analysis, and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry was used to assess the induction of apoptotic cells by linifanib, and DNA fragmentation was evaluated using TUNEL assays. Western blotting was performed to determine the protein expression levels related to apoptosis. Findings/Results: Our results demonstrated that linifanib significantly inhibited the proliferation of OVCAR3 cells and induced apoptosis. Notably, treatment with linifanib led to the inhibition of phosphorylated Akt at Ser473, accompanied by the activation of FOXO3. Conclusion and implications: Taken together, these findings indicate that linifanib suppresses the proliferation of human ovarian cancer OVCAR3 cells, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic candidate for ovarian cancer treatment.