Worldwide diverse Research groups are working on the search for new anticancer therapies to address a public health problem that causes more than 8 million deaths a year. BUAP researchers synthesize new steroidal molecules and their precursors (intermediate compounds) to whose structure they add nitrogen to repress the metastatic capacity of tumor cells. The compounds have been tested in breast and cervical cancer, the first and second leading cause of death from malignant neoplasms in women.
Participating in this research are doctors Maura Cárdenas García, from the Faculty of Medicine; Sylvain Bernès, from the “Luis Rivera Terrazas” Institute of Physics (IFUAP); and María Guadalupe Hernández Linares, from the Institute of Sciences (ICUAP). Likewise, doctors Luis Sánchez, from UNAM, and Marieta Fernández Herrera, from Cinvestav-Unidad Mérida; and graduate students Gabriel Guerrero Luna and Alejandra Ortiz González; and undergraduate degrees from BUAP, Jaquelín Reyes, from Biotechnology, and Alejandra Ortiz, from Medicine, among others.
The addition of a nitrogen group to the steroid molecule favors a greater antiproliferative activity in cancer cell lines. Therefore, these compounds are versatile and active in different types of carcinoma, so their scope is wide.
Dr. María Guadalupe Hernández Linares, level I of the National System of Researchers of Conacyt, asserts that the molecules developed are active in cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and CasKi) and breast (subtypes MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) , both hormone and non-hormone dependent. This last subtype is a valuable model for triple negative breast cancer research, because it is the one with the worst prognosis, since the treatments are usually not effective.
“These results will allow the design of compounds that effectively inhibit or reduce the metastatic capacity of these tumor cells and this will translate into better quality and life expectancy. Likewise, we have results in colon cancer lines (HCT-15) and as soon as we return to the laboratory we will work on prostate cancer cell lines ”.
Hernández Linares, president of the Mexican Academy of Organic Chemistry AC (AMQO), adds that in addition to selective antiproliferative activity, nitrogenous steroidal compounds have shown that they are not cytotoxic in healthy cells, making them a therapeutic option against cancer and with fewer side effects.
From this research derives the registration of three patent applications, the publication of two indexed articles in international journals and two more articles under review, as well as the training of specialized students in this research topic, through undergraduate and postgraduate theses.
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