Selective toxicity of dihydroartemisinin and holotransferrin toward human breast cancer cells.
Artemisinin becomes cytotoxic in the presence of ferrous iron. Since iron influx is high in cancer cells, artemisinin and its analogs selectively kill cancer cells under conditions that increase intracellular iron concentrations. We report here that after incubation with holotransferrin, which increases the concentration of ferrous iron in cancer cells, dihydroartemisinin, an analog of artemisinin, effectively killed a type of radiation-resistant human breast cancer cell in vitro. The same treatment had considerably less effect on normal human breast cells. Since it is relatively easy to increase the iron content inside cancer cells in vivo, administration of artemisinin-like drugs and intracellular iron-enhancing compounds may be a simple, effective, and economical treatment for cancer.
Singh
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Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7962, USA. narendra@u.washington.edu
Lai
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H
D000962:Antimalarials / Q000633:toxicity*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; D001940:Breast / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000633:toxicity*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014965:X-Rays
D000962:Antimalarials; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014168:Transferrin; C110714:holotransferrin; C039060:artenimol