Synthesis and Biological Activity of a New Indenoisoquinoline Copper Derivative as a Topoisomerase I Inhibitor

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 24; no. 19; p. 14590
• Main Authors: Molinaro, Caroline, Wambang, Nathalie, Pellegrini, Sylvain, Henry, Natacha, Lensink, Marc F., Germain, Emmanuelle, Bousquet, Till, de Ruyck, Jérôme, Cailliau, Katia, Pélinski, Lydie, Martoriati, Alain
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 26.09.2023; MDPI
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: adenocarcinoma; Apoptosis; Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Catalysis; Cell cycle; Cell division; Cervix; Chemical Sciences; Copper; copper(II) complex; Cytotoxicity; DNA; DNA damage; DNA intercalation; Drug dosages; Embryonic development; Embryos; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; indenoisoquinoline; Inorganic chemistry; Life Sciences; Ligands; molecular modeling; or physical chemistry; Theoretical and; topoisomerase I; France; indenoisoquinoline; adenocarcinoma; molecular modeling; DNA intercalation; copper(II) complex; topoisomerase I
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914590

Topoisomerases are interesting targets in cancer chemotherapy. Here, we describe the design and synthesis of a novel copper(II) indenoisoquinoline complex, WN198. The new organometallic compound exhibits a cytotoxic effect on five adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HeLa, HT-29, and DU-145) with the lowest IC50 (0.37 ± 0.04 μM) for the triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Below 5 µM, WN198 was ineffective on non-tumorigenic epithelial breast MCF-10A cells and Xenopus oocyte G2/M transition or embryonic development. Moreover, cancer cell lines showed autophagy markers including Beclin-1 accumulation and LC3-II formation. The DNA interaction of this new compound was evaluated and the dose-dependent topoisomerase I activity starting at 1 μM was confirmed using in vitro tests and has intercalation properties into DNA shown by melting curves and fluorescence measurements. Molecular modeling showed that the main interaction occurs with the aromatic ring but copper stabilizes the molecule before binding and so can putatively increase the potency as well. In this way, copper-derived indenoisoquinoline topoisomerase I inhibitor WN198 is a promising antitumorigenic agent for the development of future DNA-damaging treatments.