Promising donors of nitrogen monoxide

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive type of cancer known for its rapid progression and a 5% survival rate, despite modern advances in surgery and chemotherapy. Effective treatment of pleural mesothelioma requires new therapeutic strategies, one of which is the overload of malignant cells with nitrogen monoxide. This molecule has a multifaceted effect on the pleural cavity: it has both cytotoxic and proliferative properties, depending on the concentration and duration of exposure.Scientists of the Laboratory of Nitrogen Compounds have developed a method preparation of (1,2,4-oxadiazolyl)furoxanes. Furoxan derivatives are known for their ability to release nitrogen monoxide when activated by intracellular thiols and have already shown their effectiveness in combating various types of tumors. At the City University of Hong Kong, the synthesized structures were studied for anti-cancer properties relative to the mouse mesothelioma cell line and the human mesothelioma cell line. The leading compounds showed high activity in micromolar concentration, surpassing the reference drug cisplatin. It is assumed that further research will include a detailed study of the mechanism of activity of the obtained substances, as well as an expansion of the library of available structures to determine the effect of substituents on anticancer properties.