Darbufelone, a novel anti-inflammatory drug, induces growth inhibition of lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo

Inflammation plays a crucial role in the development of lung cancer. Accumulated studies have proved that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which block inflammation by their actions on arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism have a potential role in cancer chemotherapy and chemoprevention. The aim of our study was to investigate whether darbufelone, a novel anti-inflammatory drug, has anticancer effects in lung cancer. Human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines were treated with darbufelone at various doses and time points for analysis of cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis in vitro. The in vivo effect of darbufelone was assessed in Lewis lung carcinoma mice model. Darbufelone inhibited the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, and induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase through up-regulation of p27 expression. Treatment with darbufelone also induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3 and caspase-8. Lewis lung carcinoma growth was also significantly inhibited by darbufelone treatment at daily dose of 80 mg/kg. Taken together, these studies suggested that darbufelone, an anti-inflammation drug, might represent a novel therapeutic approach for lung cancer treatment.