Russian chemists have developed compounds that trigger self-destruction of cancer cells
Chemists from St. Petersburg and Kazan have learned to program self-destruction of tumor cells. The study, published in the journal Bioorganic Chemistry, was reported by the press service of ITMO University.Researchers from ITMO University and the Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry. A. E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry have developed compounds that trigger the process of self-destruction in cancer cells. The drug acts only on tumor cells, reducing the toxicity of the treatment by almost 10 times.
Chemists used compounds with selective toxicity - calixarenes with pyrazole fragments. These macrocyclic compounds are able to bind to DNA. "Multi-armed" bowl-shaped platforms of macromolecules pinpoint cancer cells.
"This was achieved through a properly selected geometry of compounds with 'substituted' pyrazole fragments. In addition, we identified the target molecule in the cells that binds to our drug - it turned out to be DNA," - Anton Muravyev, the main author of the study, a researcher at the research and educational center of infochemistry ITMO.
The researchers synthesized nine such compounds and treated six cell lines - four cancerous and two healthy. Three of the leader compounds significantly inhibited the activity of the cervical carcinoma cell line. Healthy cells, including chemotherapy-sensitive liver cells, remained viable.
The scientists tested the efficacy and safety of the therapy in experiments on mice. The lethal dose of calixarenes on mice turned out to be several times higher than that of analogs used today - up to 80 mg per 1 kg of body weight. At the same time, apoptosis - programmed cell death - was triggered in cervical carcinoma when the animals interacted with the compounds.
Current methods of chemotherapy cause a large number of side effects associated with the impact of antitumor drugs on healthy cells, the study authors add. Targeted therapies will help prevent the development of unwanted effects and increase the effectiveness of treatment. Clinical trials will be required to use the molecules in anticancer therapy.