Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Quantifiable and Inexpensive Cell-Free Fluorescent Method to Confirm the Ability of Novel Compounds to Chelate Iron
Published on: February 23, 2024
Cell permeable iron chelators as potential cancer chemotherapeutic agents
Paula M B Pahl1, Lawrence D Horwitz
1University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Medicine, Denver, CO 80262, USA.
Abstract:
Iron is an essential micronutrient for the growth and function of all cells. It is, therefore, an attractive target for chemotherapeutic compounds. Numerous studies in vitro and in vivo provide evidence that iron chelators may be effective antitumor agents. Lipophilic iron chelators that are readily cell permeable and can bind intracellular iron stores may selectively kill cancer cells without damaging normal cells. In this review we discuss the role of iron in cellular processes and how these processes differ between normal and neoplastic cells. We also review the effects on normal and cancer cell growth of several lipophilic iron chelators.
Related Concept Videos
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

