Anti-Tumor Activity vs. Normal Cell Toxicity: Therapeutic Potential of the Bromotyrosines Aerothionin and Homoaerothionin In Vitro

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Novel strategies to treat cancer effectively without adverse effects on the surrounding normal tissue are urgently needed. Marine sponges provide a natural and renewable source of promising anti-tumor agents. Here, we investigated the anti-tumor activity of Aerothionin and Homoaerothionin, two bromotyrosines isolated from the marine demosponge Aplysina cavernicola, on two mouse pheochromocytoma cells, MPC and MTT. To determine the therapeutic window of these metabolites, we furthermore explored their cytotoxicity on cells of the normal tissue. Both metabolites diminished the viability of the pheochromocytoma cell lines significantly from a concentration of 25 µM under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Treatment of MPC cells leads moreover to a reduction in the number of proliferating cells. To confirm the anti-tumor activity of these bromotyrosines, 3D-pheochromocytoma cell spheroids were treated with 10 µM of either Aerothionin or Homoaerothionin, resulting in a significant reduction or even complete inhibition of the spheroid growth. Both metabolites reduced viability of normal endothelial cells to a comparable extent at higher micromolar concentration, while the viability of fibroblasts was increased. Our in vitro results show promise for the application of Aerothionin and Homoaerothionin as anti-tumor agents against pheochromocytomas and suggest acceptable toxicity on normal tissue cells.

Details

Original languageEnglish
JournalMarine drugs
Volume18
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC7281235
Scopus 85084327726
ORCID /0000-0002-6932-333X/work/148144983

Keywords

Keywords

  • Animals, Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology, BALB 3T3 Cells/drug effects, Cell Line, Tumor/drug effects, Disease Models, Animal, Isoxazoles/pharmacology, Mice, Porifera/chemistry, Spiro Compounds/pharmacology, Tyrosine/analogs & derivatives