Study of mTOR/PTEN gene expression in gastric cancer cell line treated with ethanolic extract of Tetraselmis suecia microalgae

Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Microalgae Phytochemicals TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases PTEN Phosphohydrolase

Authors

  • Atena Ehsanbakhsh Department of Biotechnology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
  • Narges Javadzadeh
    Nargesjavadzadeh@iau.ac.ir
    Department of Fisheries, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
August 14, 2025

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The second leading cause of death worldwide is cancer, and the fourth most prevalent cancer is stomach cancer. Natural seafood products include a variety of biologically active compounds with medicinal properties that may be useful in cancer therapy. This study aimed to assess the growth-inhibitory impact of the ethanolic extract of Tetraselmis suecica algae on the expression of mTOR/PTEN genes using the MTT assay in the cell line. The optimal IC50 dosage of this extract was 1000 and 750 ?g/mL at 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Tetraselmis suecica extract dramatically lowered the survival rate of gastric cancer cells, increased the apoptotic PTEN gene expression, and decreased the mTOR gene expression in the cell line. The extract of T. suecica, as shown in the current study, is potentially useful in the treatment of stomach cancer.