Piroxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has shown anti-tumoral activity which is amplified when combined with Cisplatin.
Researchers used two mesothelioma cell lines and treated cells with piroxicam and cisplatin alone then combined the two treatments.
Cell growth was significantly limited in both lines and treatment with either agent appeared to disrupt cell cycle phase distribution and expression of some regulatory proteins.
Their effects were significantly increased when used as a combination therapy. In one of the cell lines they appeared to create a synergistic effect on apoptosis (likely through the activation of caspase 8,9).
The data suggests that a combination of piroxicam and cisplatin should warrant further investigation because of their effects on apoptosis and cell cycles.
