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Published on: March 6, 2019
The Synthesis of Conjugated Peptides Containing Triazole and Quinolone-3-Carboxamide Moieties Designed as Anticancer
Kiana Esfandiari Mazandaran1, Maryam Baharloui1, Mohammad Hassan Houshdar Tehrani2
1Department of Chemistry, Payame noor University, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Cancer is a major health concern in human populations worldwide, and due to its causes being multi-factorial, it is not easily curable. Many attempts have been made to tackle this disease in hopes of finding effective anticancer agents which are not harmful to healthy tissues. Peptides with several medicinal activities have been shown to be good candidates as anticancer agents to replace common classic anticancer drugs. Peptides in conjugation with either biologically active heterocyclic compounds or anticancer drugs may result in new molecules compiling the biological benefits of both individual compounds within a unit structure.
Objective:
In this study some triazole-peptide conjugates as well as ciprofloxacin-peptide conjugates were designed, synthesized, and their anticancer activities evaluated. A normal skin cell line, NIH3, was also employed to determine the safety profiles of these conjugates.
Materials And Methods:
Two peptides; YIGSR and LSGNK were synthesized by the solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) method using Wang resin. Cell viability was examined by employing the MTT assay. To determine the cytotoxicity of the triazole and ciprofloxacin conjugates, two human cancer cell lines were employed; HepG2 (human liver cancer cell line) and LNCaP (human prostatic carcinoma cell line). A human skin fibroblast cell line was also included for comparison.
Results:
MTT results showed that all the compounds could inhibit the viability of cancerous cells in a concentration- dependent manner.
Conclusions:
The results showed that these peptide conjugates are toxic against the aforementioned cancerous cells and thus may raise a hope for finding new anticancer agents made by such strategy in the near future.
Insights
New peptide conjugates show promise as anticancer agents. These novel compounds, including triazole-peptide and ciprofloxacin-peptide conjugates, effectively inhibited cancer cell viability in laboratory tests, offering hope for future cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Oncology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Cancer remains a significant global health challenge due to its complex etiology.
- Peptides are emerging as promising anticancer agents, offering potential advantages over traditional chemotherapy.
- Conjugating peptides with heterocyclic compounds or existing drugs can create novel molecules with combined therapeutic benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel triazole-peptide and ciprofloxacin-peptide conjugates.
- To evaluate the anticancer activity of these synthesized conjugates against specific cancer cell lines.
- To assess the safety profile of these conjugates using a normal skin cell line.
Main Methods:
- Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) was used to create two specific peptides: YIGSR and LSGNK.
- The MTT assay was employed to determine cell viability and assess the cytotoxic effects of the conjugates.
- Human cancer cell lines (HepG2 and LNCaP) and a normal human skin fibroblast cell line were utilized for testing.
Main Results:
- All synthesized peptide conjugates demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of cancerous cell viability.
- The compounds exhibited significant toxicity towards the tested liver and prostate cancer cell lines.
- Initial safety assessments using a normal skin cell line were also conducted.
Conclusions:
- The evaluated peptide conjugates display potent cytotoxicity against human cancer cells.
- This conjugation strategy holds potential for the development of novel anticancer therapeutics.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical applications of these promising peptide conjugates.

