Preclinical activity of multiple-target gold(III)-dithiocarbamato peptidomimetics in prostate cancer cells and xenografts

Background: Recently, novel gold(III)-dithiocarbamato peptidomimetics, designed to target peptide transporters up-regulated in several tumor cells, have shown promising as anticancer agents. Results: The biological behavior of the most promising derivatives AuD8 and AuD9 was studied in PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells. They exert higher cytotoxicity in vitro than the reference drug cisplatin and induce apoptosis, promoting mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and stimulating ROS generation. Moreover, they inhibit both selenoenzyme thioredoxin reductase and proteasome activity. Additionally, AuD8 effectively reduces tumor growth in prostate tumor-bearing nude mice with minimal systemic toxicity. Conclusion: Altogether, our results provide insights into the anticancer activity of these gold(III)-dithiocarbamato peptidomimetics and support their potential as new agents for prostate cancer treatment.