Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer in the world with high rates of mortality, which makes it of great importance to be efficiently cured. Aurora kinase family (including Aurora A, B, and C) regulate several phases of cell cycle in mammalian cells. Aurora-B is overexpressed in various types of solid tumors and leukemia, and in that case, the prognosis is poor. AZD1152 is a selective inhibitor for Aurora kinase B. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of AZD1152 and its mechanism of action on two CRC cell lines.

Methods: In this experimental study, two cell lines including Caco-2 and HCT-116, were used as models of CRC. Trypsin was utilized for passaging the mentioned cell lines. AZD1152 was provided with primary concentration of 1000 μM and diluted to achieve specific concentrations. Antitumor properties of AZD1152 on cell lines were investigated using MTT (Microculture Tetrazolium Test) and clonogenic assays. Student's t-test was also done to perform statistical analyses.

Findings: The results of MTT assay indicated that 50 nM and 500 nM of AZD1152 effectively decreased metabolic activity in HCT-116 and Caco-2 cell lines by 25% and 50%, respectively. Also the mentioned drug inhibited clonogenic activity in the given cell lines.

Conclusion: Altogether, this study suggests AZD1152 as a novel potential chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of CRC. However, more investigations are needed to uncover action mechanisms of AZD1152 in CRC treatment.