Targeting Cancer Cell Migration with Pentamethinium Salts
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Tumor invasiveness and metastasis cause over 90 % of cancer-related deaths, yet no effective drugs specifically targeting these processes exist. While cytostatic therapies inhibit tumor growth, migrastatic agents aim to prevent cancer cell movement and metastasis. A combination of both strategies could enhance treatment outcomes. This study explores pentamethinium salts (PMS), a class of fluorescent compounds with varying cytotoxicity that influence tumor cell migration. Some PMS derivatives selectively bind to cardiolipin in mitochondria, offering high fluorescence stability and minimal phototoxicity. We show that PMS inhibits DHODH-dependent respiration, a key step in pyrimidine synthesis, and suppresses oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and ATP production. Our findings highlight BCV 141’s interaction with mitochondrial structures, its binding to DHODH and the IL-6 receptor, and its potential to reduce lung metastases in mice. |