REVIEW: Thiosulfinates: Cytotoxic and Antitumor Activity

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Vitalia V. Kulikova^1,a*, Elena A. Morozova¹, Vasiliy S. Koval¹, Pavel N. Solyev¹, Tatyana V. Demidkina^1#, and Svetlana V. Revtovich¹

¹Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

^# Deceased.

Received January 25, 2023; Revised May 12, 2023; Accepted May 12, 2023

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Pharmacological value of some natural compounds makes them attractive for use in oncology. The sulfur-containing thiosulfinates found in plants of the genus Allium have long been known as compounds with various therapeutic properties, including antitumor. Over the last few years, the effect of thiosulfinates on various stages of carcinogenesis has been actively investigated. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that thiosulfinates inhibit proliferation of cancer cells, as well as they induce apoptosis. The purpose of this review is to summarize current data on the use of natural and synthetic thiosulfinates in cancer therapy. Antitumor mechanisms and molecular targets of these promising compounds are discussed. A significant part of the review is devoted to consideration of a new strategy for treatment of oncological diseases – use of the directed enzyme prodrug therapy approach aiming to obtain antitumor thiosulfinates in situ.

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KEY WORDS: natural, synthetic thiosulfinates, cytostatic activity, antitumor activity, targeted enzyme prodrug therapy

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297923070052

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