Dasatinib enhances cisplatin sensitivity in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells via suppression of PI3K/AKT and Stat3 pathways.

The clinical efficacy of cisplatin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treatment remains undesirable. Src, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in multiple fields of tumorigenesis, recently has been indicated as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of solid tumors including ESCC. However, whether inhibition of Src activity can increase cisplatin efficacy in ESCC cells remains unknown. The present study found that inhibition of Src by its inhibitor-dasatinib sensitized ESCC cells to cisplatin in vitro. Our data also suggest a likely mechanism for this synergy that dasatinib reduces expression of critical oncogenic members of the signaling pathways, such as AKT or Stat3, and cisplatin-resistant molecules, such as ERCC1 and BRCA1, under the control of Src. Furthermore, dasatinib could sensitize ESCC cells to another platin-based agent, carboplatin. Therefore, this study provides a potential target for improving cisplatin efficacy in ESCC therapy.