Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) Anti-Tumor Activities Against Hematologic Tumors: Potential Therapeutic Implications for Pediatric Patients with B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Article

Sep 30, 2026

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Investigates whether olive leaf extract (OLE) can counteract human hematologic malignancies, focusing on acute leukemia and lymphoma cells. The study assesses cell proliferation and apoptosis by flow cytometry using CFSE and Annexin-V/7AAD with varying OLE concentrations, alone or combined with chemotherapeutic drugs, and analyzes cellular pathways with antibody arrays. Results show OLE suppresses B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) growth and triggers apoptosis, also affecting primary leukemic blasts; effects in AML and AML blasts are limited, and cytarabine combinations enhance OLE activity. Concludes potential use of OLE as a food supplement alongside cytarabine in pediatric B-ALL.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages21

Reading Time53 min

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Abstract

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Introduction

Article Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) Anti-Tumor Activities Against Hematologic Tumors: Potential Therapeutic Implications for Pediatric Patients with B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Irma Airoldi 1, Lucrezia Canè 1, Chiara Brignole 2, Eleonora Ciampi 2, Daniela Montagna 3,4 and Fabio Morandi 1, * Academic Editors: Yi-Wen Liu and Ching-Hsein Chen Received: 13 November 2025 Revised: 16 December 2025 Accepted: 17 December 2025 Published: 19 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 UOSD Laboratory of Cell Therapies, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genova, Italy; [irmaairoldi@gaslini.org](irmaairoldi@gaslini.org) (I.A.); [lucreziacane01@icloud.com](lucreziacane01@icloud.com) (L.C.) 2 UOSD Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genova, Italy; [chiarabrignole@gaslini.org](chiarabrignole@gaslini.org) (C.B.); [eleonoraciampi@gaslini.org](eleonoraciampi@gaslini.org) (E.C.) 3 Department of Sciences Clinic-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; [daniela.montagna@unipv.it](daniela.montagna@unipv.it) 4 Pediatric Clinic, Foundation IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy * Correspondence: [fabiomorandi@gaslini.org](fabiomorandi@gaslini.org) Abstract Background/Objectives: Several studies reported that olive leaf extract (OLE) may exert potent anti-cancer activities against human solid and hematological tumors. Such effects are mostly related to the polyphenol oleuropein and its derivatives, which are highly concentrated in OLE. Here, we investigated the anti-tumor effects of OLE in vitro against human acute leukemia and lymphoma cells. Methods: Cell proliferation and apoptosis have been evaluated by flow cytometry (using CFSE and Annexin-V/7AAD, respectively) in the presence or absence of OLE at different concentrations and in combination with or without chemotherapeutic drugs. Cellular pathways have been analyzed using antibody arrays. Results: OLE inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and, to a lesser extent, in lymphomas and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. Notably, OLE-induced apoptosis also occurs in primary leukemic blasts from BALL patients, both at diagnosis and at relapse, but only marginally in primary AML blasts. The expression and phosphorylation of proteins involved in the induction of apoptosis were modulated by OLE in B-ALL, whereas modest effects were observed in AML. Interestingly, some proteins were modulated in opposite ways in B-ALL and AML, potentially explaining their different responses to OLE. Finally, a synergistic and additive effect was observed for OLE in combination with cytarabine, but not with cyclophosphamide. Conclusions: We may envisage that OLE may be used as a food supplement in B-ALL patients treated with cytarabine, taking advantage of the potentiated effect of chemotherapy, without additional side effects. Keywords: olive leaf extract; pediatric leukemias; nutraceuticals 1. Introduction Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae) is a characteristic Mediterranean species used to produce olives and oils, representing key components of the traditional Mediterranean diet that includes a high intake of fruit, vegetables, fish, red wine, and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) . Such a diet is widely recognized to have an impact on good health, long life, prevention of chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular and neurodegenerative), and cancers in the Mediterranean population. In addition to EVOO, another phytochemical may be obtained from the olive plant: olive leaf extract (OLE), containing similar biologically active compounds, even at much higher concentrations and a wider variety. OLE is abundant in polyphenolic compounds, broadly categorized into secoir

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What was the effect of combining OLE with chemotherapy, particularly cytarabine?

A synergistic and additive effect was observed when OLE was combined with cytarabine, whereas no such effect was seen with cyclophosphamide.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy