Paclitaxel-Containing Nano-Apoliposomes Attenuate the Growth and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Cisplatin-Resistant Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a type of malignant tumor of the head and neck region, has strong resistance to anticancer drugs, which seriously hinders clinical treatment. In this study, we investigated the effects of different concentrations of paclitaxel-containing nano-apoliposomes on cisplatin (DDP)-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro, referred to as CNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP. Cell behaviors were then analyzed, including proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities. In addition, levels of proteins related to apoptosis and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed using western blot assays and mRNA levels of EMT-related genes were measured using qRT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that paclitaxel-containing nano-apoliposomes decrease proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of CNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells, demonstrating their inhibitory effects on cisplatin-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. This work demonstrates the potential value of paclitaxe-containing nano-apoliposomes in the clinical treatment of drug-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma.