| Summary: | Cardamonin is a polyphenolic natural product that has been shown to possess cytotoxic activity against a variety of cancer cell lines. We previously reported the semi-synthesis of a novel Cu (II)–cardamonin complex (<b>19</b>) that demonstrated potent antitumour activity. In this study, we further investigated the bioactivity of <b>19</b> against MDA-MB-468 and PANC-1 cancer cells in an attempt to discover an effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and pancreatic cancer, respectively. Results revealed that <b>19</b> abolished the formation of MDA-MB-468 and PANC-1 colonies, exerted growth-inhibitory activity, and inhibited cancer cell migration. Further mechanistic studies showed that <b>19</b> induced DNA damage resulting in gap 2 (G2)/mitosis (M) phase arrest and microtubule network disruption. Moreover, <b>19</b> generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may contribute to induction of apoptosis, corroborated by activation of caspase-3/7, PARP cleavage, and downregulation of Mcl-1. Complex <b>19</b> also decreased the expression levels of p-Akt and p-4EBP1, which indicates that the compound exerts its activity, at least in part, via inhibition of Akt signalling. Furthermore, <b>19</b> decreased the expression of c-Myc in PANC-1 cells only, which suggests that it may exert its bioactivity via multiple mechanisms of action. These results demonstrate the potential of <b>19</b> as a therapeutic agent for TNBC and pancreatic cancer.
|
|---|
