New Year, New Results

Happy New Year 2024! Let's start with new results, or maybe they are really old one but finally published! 😂 So just before Christmas we got another paper accepted in a journal called Chemico-Biological Interactions. In this paper untitled "Amino acid derivative of probenecid potentiates apoptosis-inducing effects of vinblastine by increasing oxidative stress in a cancer cell-specific manner" (link to open access publication) we prepared a novel derivative of probenecid (a drug used to treat gout and hyperuricemia). With this novel derivative, which was more effectively delivered into the cancer cells than its parent (probenecid), we were able to improve the chemotherapeutic effects of vinblastine. Originally, the aim was to block the efflux of vinblastine out of the cancer cells, since our novel compounds was designed to inhibit efflux inhibitors, but in this study we found out that the interactions of this novel compound with other nutrient transporters (in addition to LAT1 that it primarily used) was the main reason for its apoptosis increasing effects together with vinblastine. And curiously, one reason was the increased oxidative stress in the target cells, which we found was a result from a decrease in glutathione, an endogenous anti-oxidant production, due to the inhibition of essential amino acids via the nutrient transporters that the novel compound restricted. Complicated but simple! 😁

So good start for the new year! I wish a happy and successful year to all of you!