| dc.description.abstract | The metabolic drugs metformin and dichloroacetate was researched for their anticancer effects on pancreatic cancer cells from the PANC-1 cell line. Pancreatic cancer cells were treated with metformin and dichloroacetate alone, and in combination. Concentrations ranging between 0.25-6.0 mM were used for both medicines, and treatment time varied between 20 and 44 hours. AlamarBlue and Cell Counting Kit-8 assays were used to measure cell viability after treatment. Flow cytometry was used to observe the activity of Protein kinase B (Akt) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) after treatment for the PANC-1 cells. A clear tendency of decreasing viability was observed for the cancer cells treated with metformin in higher concentrations (1-6 mM) and with a treatment time of 44 hours. No apparent trends could be observed neither for the PANC-1 cells after treatment with dichloroacetate alone, and in combination with metformin. No apparent shift of activity of Akt and AMPK was observed by flow cytometry after treatment with metformin and dichloroacetate. | |