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Nitrogen- and Sulfur-Containing Heterocycles as Dual Anti-oxidant and Anti-cancer Agents

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Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects

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Abstract

Cancer derives from a multi-step process in which tumor cells establish the ability to proliferate and disseminate. Other non-oncogenic pathways can be influenced as an adaptive response, being the oxidative stress the most affected. Indeed, reactive oxygen species act as pivotal mediators of oxidative stress and are involved in cancer initiation and development. Medicinal chemists have directed their efforts toward the concurrent inhibition of the cancer cell growth and the modulation of the upregulated oxidative stress level. Furthermore, anti-cancer drugs can exert their cytotoxic effects by displaying pro-oxidative damage in cancer cells. This pleiotropic activity has been largely investigated among the heterocyclic scaffolds with particular interest in those containing both sulfur and nitrogen atoms. In this chapter, we collected an up-to-date overview of this topic demonstrating the importance of these heterocycles categorizing the discussion on acyclic (isothiosemicarbazones), monocyclic (thiazoles, thiazolidines, thiadiazoles, thiazines, thiazepines), bicyclic (benzothiazoles and benzothiazines), and tricyclic (phenothiazines) compounds. Moreover, natural compounds and metal complexes containing such structures were considered and described. Structure-activity relationships and the most promising agents were provided as well as their results in terms of anti-proliferative and antioxidant activities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Simone Carradori & Grazia Luisi

  2. Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Paolo Guglielmi & Daniela Secci

Authors
  1. Simone Carradori
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  2. Paolo Guglielmi
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  3. Grazia Luisi
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  4. Daniela Secci
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simone Carradori .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysic, University of Kalyani Department of Biochemistry and Biophysic, Kalyani, West Bengal, India

    Sajal Chakraborti

  2. Dept of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, College Vet, Columbia, MO, USA

    Bimal K Ray

  3. Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Ins, Kolkata, India

    Sushanta Roychowdhury

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Carradori, S., Guglielmi, P., Luisi, G., Secci, D. (2021). Nitrogen- and Sulfur-Containing Heterocycles as Dual Anti-oxidant and Anti-cancer Agents. In: Chakraborti, S., Ray, B.K., Roychowdhury, S. (eds) Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4501-6_180-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4501-6_180-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-4501-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-4501-6

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