Testing Cytotoxic Activity of Drug Candidates
Testing Cytotoxic Activity of Drug Candidates with EZ4U – MTT Assay
Globally, 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10.0 million cancer deaths have been reported in 2020 (1). Despite the significant advances in cancer treatment, several challenges still remain e.g. avoiding resistance or cytotoxic effects. In search of more tolerable and effective drugs, a group of drug candidates have emerged in cancer research that target unique cell death mechanisms.
Ferroptosis is a form of regulated iron-dependent type of cell death that is driven by lipid peroxidation. It offers a new approach for developing novel drugs for cancer treatment. In the last years, several novel compounds capable of inducing ferroptosis in cancer have been investigated. Bernkop-Schnürch et al., recently evaluated the inhibitory effects of different methoxylated complexes on proliferation, migration, and metabolic activity in human breast cancer and leukemia cells. The researchers identified one promising lead compound for the design of a drug candidate that is capable of inducing ferroptosis in cancer cells (2). Read more: Design, Synthesis, Electrochemical, and Biological Evaluation of Fluorescent Chlorido[N,N‘-bis(methoxy/hydroxy)salicylidene-1,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylenediamine]iron(III) Complexes as Anticancer Agents.
The Biomedica EZ4U Cell Proliferation and Cytotoxicity Assay (cat. no. BI-5000) was used in this study to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of the novel compounds. The assay is a modified MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) that detects the reduction of tetrazolium salts into yellow-colored formazan derivatives by functional mitochondria.
Brief, the metabolic activity was analysed by seeding cells in microtiter plates and culturing them at 37°C for 3 days in a 5% CO2/95% air atmosphere. Thereafter, 20µl of the EZ4U substance was added to each well and the color change was measured on a microtiter plate reader at a wavelength of 450 nm with 620 nm as a reference.
EZ4U Cell Viability& Cytotoxicity Assay (cat.no. BI-5000)
- SAFE – non-radioactive & non-toxic
- CONVENIENT – single-step incubation for use on living cells
- TRUSTED – widely cited in over 260 publications
Download the BROCHURE – EZ4U cell proliferation and cytotoxicity assay and the PROTOCOL BOOKLET
Literature
- Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, Bray F.CA Cancer J Clin. 2021 May;71(3):209-249. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660. Epub 2021 Feb 4. PMID: 33538338.
- Design, Synthesis, Electrochemical, and Biological Evaluation of Fluorescent Chlorido[N,N‘-bis(methoxy/hydroxy)salicylidene-1,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylenediamine]iron(III) Complexes as Anticancer Agents. Bernkop-Schnürch AD, Chavooshi D, Descher HA, Leitner D, Talasz H, Hermann M, Wurst K, Hohloch S, Gust R, Kircher B. J Med Chem. 2023 Dec 14;66(23):15916-15925. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01359. Epub 2023.