Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies
07:29

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies

Published on: June 20, 2015

20.2K

Biophysical analysis of cancer stem cell-potent copper(ii) coordination complexes

Puyi Zheng1, Arvin Eskandari, Chunxin Lu

  • 1Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London, UK. kogularamanan.suntharalingam@kcl.ac.uk leigh.aldous@kcl.ac.uk.

Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
|January 12, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Copper(II) complexes with NSAIDs effectively eliminate breast cancer stem cells and bulk cancer cells. The mechanism involves reduction to copper(I) and release of the NSAIDs, as shown by biophysical studies.

Area of Science:

  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Copper(II) coordination complexes incorporating nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) demonstrate potent cytotoxicity against breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) and bulk cancer cells.
  • The precise molecular mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effects of these copper-NSAID complexes remains largely unelucidated despite extensive biological investigations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanism of action for copper(II)-NSAID complexes in cancer cell death.
  • To investigate the role of copper reduction and NSAID release in the observed cytotoxicity.

Main Methods:

  • Preparation of a fluorophore-containing copper(II)-NSAID analogue (complex 3) for mechanistic studies.
  • Biophysical characterization to probe the molecular interactions and transformations of the complexes within cancer cells.

Main Results:

  • The study reveals that the copper(II) complexes undergo reduction to a copper(I) species.
  • The active copper(I) species facilitates the release of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from the coordination complexes.
  • This reduction and release mechanism is key to the potent killing of both breast cancer stem cells and bulk cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • The molecular mechanism of action for these copper(II)-NSAID complexes involves a redox process, transitioning to copper(I) and liberating the NSAID.
  • This mechanism underlies the observed potent efficacy against diverse breast cancer cell populations, including stem cells.

More Related Videos

Radiosensitivity of Cancer Stem Cells in Lung Cancer Cell Lines09:45

Radiosensitivity of Cancer Stem Cells in Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Published on: August 21, 2019

7.5K
Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens09:53

Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens

Published on: February 6, 2017

11.8K

Related Concept Videos

Coordination Number and Geometry02:57

Coordination Number and Geometry

For transition metal complexes, the coordination number determines the geometry around the central metal ion. Table 1 compares coordination numbers to molecular geometry. The most common structures of the complexes in coordination compounds are octahedral, tetrahedral, and square planar.
19.0K
Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature02:54

Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature

In most main group element compounds, the valence electrons of the isolated atoms combine to form chemical bonds that satisfy the octet rule. For instance, the four valence electrons of carbon overlap with electrons from four hydrogen atoms to form CH4. The one valence electron leaves sodium and adds to the seven valence electrons of chlorine to form the ionic formula unit NaCl (Figure 1a). Transition metals do not normally bond in this fashion. They primarily form coordinate covalent bonds, a...
26.7K
Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells01:18

Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells

A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
4.5K
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
6.0K
Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
11.5K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.5K