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Updated: May 15, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
Cytotoxic betulin-derived hydroxypropargylamines trigger apoptosis
René Csuk1, Ronny Sczepek, Bianka Siewert
1Bereich Organische Chemie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany. rene.csuk@chemie.uni-halle.de
Abstract:
Several novel betulin derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their antitumor activity. Among others, 3-O-acetylbetulinic aldehyde served as an ideal starting material for the synthesis of 28-acetylenic derivatives that were further transformed into Mannich bases. These hydroxypropargylamines were screened for their antitumor activity in a panel of nine human cancer cell lines in a sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Several compounds showed a noteworthy antitumor activity. The results from acridine orange/propidium iodide staining and annexinV-FITC assays as well as DNA laddering experiments provided evidence for an apoptotic cell death.
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