Effects of the number of ethylene glycol units on the efficacy of novel complex I inhibitor 9bw.

ABSTRACT: 4'-Iodobiphenyl nonaethylene glycol ether (9bw) is a novel small molecule, composed of a biphenyl unit and 9 ethylene glycol (EG) units. Recently, we found that 9bw induces apoptosis in cancer cells by inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory complex I (CI) and accordingly reducing cellular ATP level. In addition, 9bw shows little effect on normal cells, suggesting that 9bw is a potential antitumor agent with few adverse effects. However, the exact molecular mechanisms by which 9bw acts on CI are still elusive. To clarify the molecular structure critical for 9bw's function, we tested the function of 9bw analogues on human oral squamous cell carcinoma lines HSC4 and Ca9-22. The analogues were 4-hydroxy-4'-iodobiphenyl (HIOP), I-BP-EG3, I-BP-EG6, and I-BP-EG12 containing 0, 3, 6, and 12 EG units

SUBMITTER: Sekimoto K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11979437 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature