Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42599368›Full record

ArticleMedical oncology (Northwood, London, England)2026

In vitro and in silico evaluation of the synergistic effect of Cytarabine and Zataria multiflora Boiss extract on pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (NALM-6 cell line).

Niloofar Pilehvari, Ahmad Fatemi, Mahla Lashkari, Hajar Mardani Valandani, Muhammad Hossein Ashoub, Roohollah Mirzaee Khalilabadi

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Article in Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Niloofar PilehvariStudent Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Ahmad FatemiCellular and Molecular Research Center, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran.
Mahla LashkariDepartment of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, USA.
Hajar Mardani ValandaniDepartment of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Muhammad Hossein AshoubDepartment of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Roohollah Mirzaee KhalilabadiDepartment of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. khalilabadi60@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough cytarabine remains a cornerstone chemotherapeutic agent for Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), its clinical efficacy is frequently compromised by systemic toxicity and resistance mechanisms, notably telomerase activation via hTERT upregulation. This study investigates the synergistic potential of Zataria multiflora extract (ZME) combined with cytarabine to induce apoptosis in pre-B ALL cells (NALM-6) and explores the underlying molecular mechanisms.

methodsIn vitro experiments were conducted using the NALM-6 cell line. Cell viability was assessed via Trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays. Apoptosis was quantified using Annexin V/PI flow cytometry. The mRNA expression levels of BAX, BCL2, and hTERT were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Additionally, in silico molecular docking was performed to analyze the interactions between the primary active components of ZME (thymol and carvacrol), cytarabine, and the MDM2 protein.

resultsSingle-agent treatments (100 µg/mL ZME or 0.5 µM cytarabine) yielded 70-80% cell viability after 48 h. However, the combination therapy significantly enhanced cytotoxicity, inducing 47.54% apoptosis. Gene expression analysis revealed an elevated BAX/BCL2 ratio and a significant downregulation of hTERT, indicating activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and inhibition of telomerase activity. In silico docking demonstrated strong binding affinities between thymol/carvacrol and the MDM2 active site, suggesting a hypothetical disruption of the MDM2-p53 interaction.

conclusionThe combination of ZME and cytarabine synergistically enhances apoptosis in NALM-6 cells by concurrently modulating apoptotic signaling and telomerase-related gene expression. These findings underscore the potential of ZME as a chemosensitizing agent in ALL and provide a rationale for further in vivo validation.

Indexed as

CytarabineLamiaceaePlant ExtractsPrecursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-LymphomaApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell SurvivalDrug SynergismHumansMolecular Docking SimulationProto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2TelomeraseCytarabinePlant ExtractsProto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2TelomeraseTERT protein, humanBax/Bcl-2Childhood malignancyhTERTNALM-6 cell lineSynergy

Identifiers

PMID42599368

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.