Ultrastructure Microscopic Characterization of Apoptosis in Myelomoncytic Leukemia Cell Line Treated with Velogenic Viscerotropic Newcastle Disease Virus Strain AF 2240

OBJECTIVE: Leukemia is a group of hematologic malignancies in the bonemarrow that arise from the dysfunctional proliferation of developing leukocytes. It is classified as either acute or chronic based on the rapidity of proliferation and as myelocytic or lymphocytic based on the cell of origin. Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is an avian paramyxovirus, which has been demonstrated to possess significant oncolytic activity against mammalian cancers because its ability to kill tumor cells with limited toxicity to normal cells.

METHODS:  In this study, the morphophical changes and apoptosis induction of WEHI 3B leukemia cell line treated with NDV strain AF2240 were studied by scanning electron microscopes and  transmission electron microscopes techniques.

RESULT: Electron microscopy indicated that NDV strain AF 2240 significantly altered cell morphology and reduced cell viability. Furthermore,  early apoptosis was observed 6 h post-inoculation by fluorescence microscope.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that NDV has ability to induce significant apoptoic structural changes in WEHI 3B leukemia cell line. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of action of NDV virotherapy and could lead to the development of more effective treatments for leukemia.