Synergistic anticancer effects of curcumin and hinokitiol on gefitinib resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells

This study evaluated the synergistic effect of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) and hinokitiol (β-thujaplicin), natural product derived phytochemicals, on gefitinib (Iressa) resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is widely used for lung cancer treatment. However, gefitinib resistance is easily acquired by NSCLC and followed by the development of progressive disease. Curcumin and hinokitiol are well-known bioactive compounds demonstrating anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria and anticancer effects. However, the effects of co-treatment of curcumin and hinokitiol on cancer cells have not been reported. Here, we postulated, for the first time, the possibility of combination therapy with curcumin and hinokitiol for treatment of gefitinib resistant NSCLC via increment of apoptosis and lysosomal enlargement.