potential Anticancer activity of curcumin analogs containing sulfone on human cancer cells

Abstract

Three curcumin analogs (S1-S3) containing sulfone were investigated for their effects on human prostate cancer PC-3, colon cancer HT-29, lung cancer H1299 and pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cells. The three compounds were approximately 16- to 96-fold more active than curcumin in these cell lines as determined by the MTT assay. The effects of these compounds on cell growth were further studied in prostate cancer PC-3 cells in both two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) cultures. S1-S3 strongly inhibited the growth and induced cell death in PC-3 cells, and the effects of these compounds were associated with suppression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcriptional activity. Moreover, treatment of PC-3 cells with all three compounds caused a decrease in the level of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (p-STAT3) (Tyr705), but not p-STAT3 (Ser727). Only S1 and S2 decreased the presence of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) in PC-3 cells. These curcumin analogs warrant further in vivo studies for anticancer activities in suitable animal models.