BIO043 Assessment of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the compound Monastrol in human hepatoma cell C3A.

Abstract

Genetic toxicology assesses the effects of chemical and physical agents on DNA and on the genetic processes of cells. Pharmacological evaluations of new drugs include tests for mutagenicity and genotoxicity as parameters to determine health risks to humans. The majority of current antineoplastic drugs do not exhibit selectivity and, therefore, affect both healthy and tumor cells. Absence of selectivity and mechanism of resistance to apoptosis of tumor cells are factors that may hinder the success of chemotherapy, maximizing its side effects. Therefore, it is large to search for new molecules that act selectively against tumor cells in order to minimize effects. The motor kinesin related to mitosis stood out in this quest, and the protein EG5 have been studied for their potential for cancer therapy because of its importance for cell division and its overexpression in tumor cells compared with non-tumor cells. Monastrol is a synthetic diidropirimidinona, low molecular weight, cell-permeable with a inhibitory activity specific of protein EG5 and some studies have shown that this molecule interfere in the formation of the mitotic spindle and progression of the cell cycle, leading to inhibition of cell proliferation tumor.