Neocarzinostatin is an effective DNA-damaging, anti-tumor antibiotic. It recognizes double-stranded DNA bulge and induces DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Neocarzinostatin leads to apoptosis. Neocarzinostatin has potential for EpCAM-positive cancer treatment.
Cylindrospermopsin, a tricyclic uracil derivative, is a cyanobacterial toxin that was first discovered in an algal bloom contaminating a local drinking supply on Palm Island in Queensland, Australia after an outbreak of a mysterious disease. Cylindrospermopsin targets protein and glutathione synthesis in hepatocytes (IC50s = 1.3 and 2.4 µM, respectively), leading to cell death. [1] It has been shown to inhibit the activity of the uridine monophosphate synthase complex with a Ki value of 10 µM.[2] Cylindrospermopsin is genotoxic, inducing DNA damage as evidenced by double strand breaks and reducing cell viability in HepG2 cells at 0.1-0.5 µg/ml.[3]
Amsacrine Isothionate is an aminoacridine derivative with potential antineoplastic activity. Although its mechanism of action is incompletely defined, amsacrine may intercalate into DNA and inhibit topoisomerase II, resulting in DNA double-strand breaks, arrest of the S/G2 phase of the cell cycle, and cell death.