INDUCTION OF APOPTOSIS IN B16 MELANOMA CELLS UNDER THE ACTION OF DRUG CONTAINING TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA AS A PART OF VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES IN VITRO

Aim : to evaluate the antitumor activity of the drug containing TNF-alpha and high-polymer double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in the composition of virus-like particles (VLP-TNF-alpha) on B16-F10 melanoma cells. Material and Methods . Analysis of the anti-proliferative effect of VLP-TNF-alpha as well as its components, TNFalpha and dsRNA, was carried out using the MTT -test. Apoptosis of melanoma cells was assessed by flow cytofluorimetry with FITC-annexin V. Results . It was shown that the cytotoxic effect of the drug containing the combination of TNF-alpha and dsRNA on melanoma cells significantly exceeded the total cytotoxic effect of TNF-alpha or dsRNA alone (LD50 for combination drug was 0.05 μg/ml, TNF-alpha – 9.5 μg/ml, dsRNA>20 μg/ml). Conclusion . The drug containing TNF-alpha and dsRNA molecules may be a promising drug for the treatment of malignant tumors, including melanoma.