Reactive Oxygen Species Synergize To Potently and Selectively Induce Cancer Cell Death

ACS Chem Biol. 2017 May 19;12(5):1416-1424. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00015. Epub 2017 Apr 7.

Abstract

A distinctive feature of cancer cells is their elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a trait that can cause cancer cells to be more sensitive to ROS-inducing agents than normal cells. ROS take several forms, each with different reactivity and downstream consequence. Here we show that simultaneous generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide within cancer cells results in significant synergy, potently and selectively causing cancer cell death. In these experiments superoxide is generated using the NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) substrate deoxynyboquinone (DNQ), and hydrogen peroxide is generated using the lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) inhibitor NHI-Glc-2. This combination reduces tumor burden and prolongs survival in a mouse model of lung cancer. These data suggest that simultaneous induction of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide can be a powerful and selective anticancer strategy.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Drug Synergism
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
  • Isoenzymes / antagonists & inhibitors
  • L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Lactate Dehydrogenase 5
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / pharmacology*
  • Superoxides / pharmacology

Substances

  • Isoenzymes
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Superoxides
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
  • Lactate Dehydrogenase 5