Chalcones induce apoptosis, autophagy and reduce spreading in osteosarcoma 3D models

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy with a challenging prognosis marked by a high rate of metastasis. The limited success of current treatments may be partially attributed to an incomplete understanding of osteosarcoma pathophysiology and to the absence of reliable in vitro models to select the best molecules for in vivo studies. Among the natural compounds relevant for osteosarcoma treatment, Licochalcone A (Lic-A) and chalcone derivatives are particularly interesting. Here, Lic-A and selected derivatives have been evaluated for their anticancer effect on multicellular tumor spheroids from MG63 and 143B osteosarcoma cell lines. A metabolic activity assay revealed Lic-A, 1i, and 1k derivatives as the most promising candidates. To delve into their mechanism of action, caspase activity assay was conducted in 2D and 3D in vitro models. Notably, apoptosis and autophagic induction was generally observed for Lic-A and 1k. The invasion assay demonstrated that Lic-A and 1k possess the ability to mitigate the spread of osteosarcoma cells within a matrix. The effectiveness of chalcone as a natural scaffold for generating potential antiproliferative agents against osteosarcoma has been demonstrated. In particular, chalcones exert their antiproliferative activity by inducing apoptosis and autophagy, and in addition they are capable of reducing cell invasion. These findings suggest Lic-A and 1k as promising antitumor agents against osteosarcoma cells.