Researchers from the A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry (Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences) A new class of triphenylphosphonium conjugates synthesized on the basis of nucleic bases and their analogues has been created. The molecules have a dual effect, exhibiting both cytotoxic activity against cancer cells and bactericidal activity.
Laboratory tests on a panel of nine human cancer cell lines (including prostate carcinoma, duodenal cancer, and others) have shown high cytotoxicity of the new compounds. At the same time, they have record selectivity. Their selectivity index (how many times more toxic the drug is to cancer cells than to healthy ones) is more than a hundred times higher than that of the widely used drug doxorubicin.
The compounds have high antibacterial activity, causing bacterial death. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, belonging to the group of highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant bacteria of the ESCAPEE group, as well as MRSA strains resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. It is especially important that the molecules prevent the formation of biofilms. aureus and even destroy already formed biofilms, which is one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance in hospital strains.
The results obtained open the way to the development of drugs for the combined therapy of cancer patients with concomitant infectious complications resulting from decreased immunity.
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