Exploring the Efficacy of a Novel Cannabidiol and Bevacizumab Combination in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advancements in cancer treatment, the survival rate for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains around 15%. Therefore, new therapeutic options are needed for treating the patients with NSCLC. Objectives The study's objective was to investigate the effect of the cannabidiol and bevacizumab combination against the human NSCLC and its underlying molecular mechanism using A549 cancer cell line as an in vitro model. Methods The A549 cells were cultured and treated with cannabidiol, bevacizumab, and their combination. After incubation, cell growth was evaluated using the MTT assay, and cell apoptosis was determined using flowcytometry. The impact on apoptotic genes was assessed through western blotting, whereas the expression levels of tumor metastasis genes were analyzed using qPCR. Results The proliferation of A549 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by cannabidiol, bevacizumab, and their combination. The apoptotic rate was 14.1% with cannabidiol and 26.5% with bevacizumab; however, when the two drugs were used in combination, the rate of apoptosis was significantly increased by 52.2%, respectively (p < 0.001). The underlying mechanism of apoptosis was further elaborated by western blotting, which displayed that co-treatment downregulated considerably the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2, and upregulated the pro-apoptotic gene caspase-9 (p < 0.001). Moreover, in comparison to the individual drug, the co-treatment dramatically decreased the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (p < 0.001). Conclusion The combination of cannabidiol and bevacizumab has a very potent anticancer effect on the growth inhibition of NSCLC than using either drug alone.