Sensitizing osteosarcoma stem cells to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis through retention of doxorubicin and modulation of apoptotic-related proteins

These results seemingly suggest that the high apoptotic threshold of CSCs to doxorubicin-induced cell dead stimuli is mainly dependent on the drug concentration reaching tumor cells that are governed by efflux transporter activity. Therefore, modulation of these transporters may be effective in potentiating the pro-apoptotic effects of doxorubicin, and emerges as an attractive strategy to sensitize osteosarcoma CSCs to chemotherapy.