Lindqvist-type Polyoxometalates Act as Anti-breast Cancer Drugs via Mitophagy-induced Apoptosis

Lindqvist-type polyoxometalates (POMs) exhibit potential antitumor activities. This study aimed to examine the effects of Lindqvist-type POMs against breast cancer and the underlying mechanism.

Using different cancer cell lines, the present study evaluated the antitumor activities of POM analogues that were modified at the body skeleton based on molybdenum-vanadium-centered negative oxygen ion polycondensations with different side strains. Cell colony formation assay, autophagy detection, mitochondrial observation, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and animal model were used to evaluate the antitumor activities of POMs against breast cancer cells and the related mechanism.

MO-4, a Lindqvist-type POM linking a proline at its side strain, was selected for subsequent experiments due to its low half maximal inhibitory concentration in the inhibition of proliferation of breast cancer cells. It was found that MO-4 induced the apoptosis of multiple types of breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, MO-4 activated intracellular mitophagy by elevating mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and resulting in apoptosis. In vivo, breast tumor growth and distant metastasis were significantly reduced following MO-4 treatment.

Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrated that the novel Lindqvist-type POM MO-4 may exhibit potential in the treatment of breast cancer.