Figure 5From: Phenylbutyrate interferes with the Fanconi anemia and BRCA pathway and sensitizes head and neck cancer cells to cisplatinPhenylbutyrate acts on multiple targets to sensitize head and neck cancer cells to cisplatin. Top panel: BRCA1-defective UM-SSC-17B cells [6] were mock treated for 5 days (control), treated with 2 mM phenylbutyrate for 5 days (phenylbutyrate), treted with 2 μM cisplatin for 3 days (cisplatin) or treated with 2 mM phenylbutyrate for 5 days and 2 μM cisplatin for the last 3 days (PB+cis). At the completion of the treatment, both floating and attached cells were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. Middle panel: same as above but using the FA/BRCA1-defective UM-SSC-14A cells [6]. Lower panel: Same as above but using the FA/BRCA1-proficient cell line UM-SSC-6 [6]. Note that the FA/BRCA1-defective cells appear to struggle through late S-phase as evidenced by gradual accumulation of cells in later stages of S-phase while the proficient UM-SSC-6 cell line do not show this accumulation. The percentages of sub-G1 DNA-containing cells (apoptotic cells) are presented in each panel.Back to article page