Pro-Apoptotic Activity of Bioactive Compounds from Seaweeds: Promising Sources for Developing Novel Anticancer Drugs

Abstract

The process by which cancer cells evade or inhibit apoptosis is considered one of the characteristics of cancer. The ability of cancer cells to escape apoptosis contributes to tumor proliferation and promotes metastasis. The discovery of new antitumor agents is essential for cancer treatment due to the lack of selectivity of drugs and cellular resistance to anticancer agents. Several studies showed that macroalgae produce various metabolites with different biological activities among marine organisms. This review discusses multiple metabolites extracted from macroalgae and their pro-apoptotic effects through regulating apoptosis signaling pathway target molecules and the structure-activity relationship. Twenty-four promising bioactive compounds have been reported, where eight of these compounds exhibited values of maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of less than 7 μg/mL. Fucoxanthin was the only carotenoid reported that induced apoptosis in HeLa cells with an IC50 below 1 µg/mL. Se-PPC (a complex of proteins and selenylated polysaccharides) is the magistral compound because it is the only one with an IC50 of 2.5 µg/mL which regulates the primary proteins and critical genes of both apoptosis pathways. Therefore, this review will help provide the basis for further studies and the development of new anticancer drugs, both as single agents and adjuvants, decreasing the aggressiveness of first-line drugs and offering patients better survival and quality of life.

Probing the Potential of Defense Response-Associated Genes for Predicting the Progression, Prognosis, and Immune Microenvironment of Osteosarcoma

“…IC50 is a crucial indicator for assessing tumor response to therapy; a smaller IC50 value indicates higher sensitivity of tumor cells to this chemotherapeutic agent. IC50 values have been used by many researchers to predict drug sensitivity in order to explore personalized drug therapy guidance for different patients [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. At the same time, high-risk patients in this study were found to have a greater sensitivity to MP479, SB52334, and other drugs, whereas low-risk patients were found to be more sensitive to JNK inhibitor VIII and TGX221.…”

Selenylated Imidazo [1,2-a]pyridine Induces Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in 2D and 3D Models of Colon Cancer Cells

“…Previous research with selenium compounds showed decreased migration and invasion of cancer cells. MRK-107 caused permanent damage, leading to inefficient proliferation recovery, as evaluated using standards that disregard <50% cell growth; these findings demonstrate that MRK-107 also prevents new clone formation in the long term [ 44 , 45 ]. The proliferation index of cancer cells was 2.4–3, demonstrating concentration-dependent cellular quiescence [ 46 ].…”

From the ocean to the brain: harnessing the power of marine algae for neuroprotection and therapeutic advances

“…In addition to red seaweed, other seaweed species have also been found to possess anti-apoptotic effects. For example, fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide found in brown seaweed, has been shown to protect against apoptosis-induced liver injury and promote the survival of liver cells [136].…”