Abstract
Overexpression of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) has been documented in malignant tissues and is of pathological significance for many types of tumors. The antibiotic puromycin (Puro) is a protein synthesis inhibitor causing premature polypeptide chain termination during translation. The well-defined action mechanism of Puro makes it a useful tool in biomedical studies. However, the nonselective cytotoxicity of Puro limits its therapeutic applications. We report herein the construction and evaluation of two Puro prodrugs, that is, S1-Puro with a five-membered cyclic disulfide trigger and S2-Puro with a linear disulfide trigger. S1-Puro is selectively activated by TrxR and shows the TrxR-dependent cytotoxicity to cancer cells, while S2-Puro is readily activated by thiols. Furthermore, S1-Puro displays higher stability in plasma than S2-Puro. We expect that this prodrug strategy may promote the further development of Puro as a therapeutic agent.
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