Investigation of the Proliferation Effect of Quinine on Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell Line by Using Cytotoxic Activities and Molecular Docking Techniques

Abstract

Quinine, a classic antimalarial agent, in recent years has attracted attention for its anticancer activity. In this study, we examined the cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects of Quinine against the Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cell line and an exploration of its interaction with the major proteins overexpressed in this cancer. Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using the MTT assay, which indicated a dose-dependent, significant inhibition of RD cell growth, as represented by an IC₅₀ value of 39.3µg/ml at a 24-hour treatment time. Morphological changes in line with cytotoxic effect were also observed. Additional molecular docking analysis was also conducted to estimate the binding affinity of Quinine with some proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of Rhabdomyosarcoma. The in silico data showed that Quinine could inhibit the activity of these proteins, and it could be the reason behind its antiproliferative activity. The observation is preliminary evidence of the therapeutic potential of Quinine against Rhabdomyosarcoma and needs more mechanistic and in vivo studies.