Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

A Sensitive Visual Method for the Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide Producing Bacteria
03:55

A Sensitive Visual Method for the Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide Producing Bacteria

Published on: June 27, 2022

4.4K

Garlic-derived natural polysulfanes as hydrogen sulfide donors: Friend or foe?

Esma Yagdi1, Claudia Cerella1, Mario Dicato1

  • 1Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, rue Edward Steichen, 2540, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

Food and Chemical Toxicology : an International Journal Published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
|July 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) show anti-cancer promise by affecting cell cycles and redox status. This review explores their mechanism via hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling, crucial for cancer therapy development.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) exhibit in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer properties.
  • OSCs induce cell cycle arrest (G2/M), affect microtubule networks, modulate Bcl-2 proteins, and alter redox status.
  • Despite known chemistry and anti-cancer effects, no OSC derivatives are in clinical trials, partly due to the complex role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the anti-cancer potential of organosulfur compounds (OSCs).
  • To investigate the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling in OSC-mediated anti-cancer activity.
  • To clarify the mechanism of action for translational medicine applications.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of in vitro and in vivo studies on OSCs and H2S.
  • Analysis of H2S's biphasic role in cancer.
  • Hypothesizing OSCs' action through H2S pathways.

Main Results:

  • OSCs demonstrate significant anti-cancer effects through various cellular mechanisms.
  • Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a complex, biphasic role in cancer, with both inhibitory and stimulatory effects.
  • The precise contribution of H2S to OSC anti-cancer activity remains unclear.

Conclusions:

  • Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) likely exert anti-cancer effects via hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling pathways.
  • Further elucidation of H2S mechanisms is essential for advancing OSCs in cancer therapy.
  • Understanding H2S signaling is key for the translational application of OSCs in oncology.
Keywords:
Anti-cancerBiosynthesisCancerHydrogen sulfideOrganosulfur compounds

More Related Videos

Synthesis of Terpolymers at Mild Temperatures Using Dynamic Sulfur Bonds in PolyS-Divinylbenzene09:16

Synthesis of Terpolymers at Mild Temperatures Using Dynamic Sulfur Bonds in PolyS-Divinylbenzene

Published on: May 20, 2019

8.2K
Measurement of H2S in Crude Oil and Crude Oil Headspace Using Multidimensional Gas Chromatography, Deans Switching and Sulfur-selective Detection08:37

Measurement of H2S in Crude Oil and Crude Oil Headspace Using Multidimensional Gas Chromatography, Deans Switching and Sulfur-selective Detection

Published on: December 10, 2015

20.0K

Related Concept Videos

Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides02:26

Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides

Sulfides are the sulfur analog of ethers, just as thiols are the sulfur analog of alcohol. Like ethers, sulfides also consist of two hydrocarbon groups bonded to the central sulfur atom. Depending upon the type of groups present, sulfides can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical sulfides can be prepared via an SN2 reaction between 2 equivalents of an alkyl halide and one equivalent of sodium sulfide.
5.9K
Preparation and Reactions of Thiols02:33

Preparation and Reactions of Thiols

Thiols are prepared using the hydrosulfide anion as a nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with alkyl halides. For instance, bromobutane reacts with sodium hydrosulfide to give butanethiol.
7.8K
Sulfur Assimilation01:20

Sulfur Assimilation

Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to...
477
Structure and Nomenclature of Thiols and Sulfides02:17

Structure and Nomenclature of Thiols and Sulfides

Thiols and sulfides are sulfur analogs of alcohols and ethers, respectively, where the sulfur atom takes the place of the oxygen atom. Thus, thiols are generally represented as RSH, where R is an alkyl substituent and —SH is the functional group. On the other hand, in sulfides, the central sulfur atom is bonded to two hydrocarbon groups on either side. Depending upon the type of group, sulfides can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Both thiols and sulfides display a bent geometry,...
5.9K
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Sulfonation of Benzene01:22

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Sulfonation of Benzene

Sulfonation of benzene is a reaction wherein benzene is treated with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature to produce benzenesulfonic acid. Fuming sulfuric acid is a mixture of sulfur trioxide and concentrated sulfuric acid.
8.9K
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
4.0K