Astragalus Polysaccharide Mediates Immunomodulatory Effects on Crosstalk between Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Ovarian  Cancer Cell Line

Elham Shokati; Elahe Safari; Morteza Motalebnezhad

doi:10.18502/ijaai.v22i2.12678

Elham Shokati Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elahe Safari Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Morteza Motalebnezhad Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijaai.v22i2.12678

Keywords: Astragalus polysaccharides; Inflammatory cytokines; Ovarian cancer; Regulatory T cells, Tumor microenvironment

Abstract

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a functional component of Astragalus membranaceus with antitumor and immunomodulatory properties. This study evaluated the effect of APS on the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation, cytokine secretion, and regulatory T cell (Treg) induction in an in vitro coculture model of human PBMCs and A2780 human ovarian cancer cells.

PBMC proliferation and Treg frequency were measured by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

APS significantly enhanced the PBMC proliferation, reduced Treg frequency, decreased anti-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin [IL]-10, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6.

These findings suggest that APS may be an effective immunomodulatory supplement for cancer therapy, particularly for ovarian cancer by enhancing antitumor immune responses.