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Cytochrome c: Using Biological Insight toward Engineering an Optimized Anticancer Biodrug

Authors :
Louis J. Delinois
Omar De León-Vélez
Adriana Vázquez-Medina
Alondra Vélez-Cabrera
Amanda Marrero-Sánchez
Christopher Nieves-Escobar
Daniela Alfonso-Cano
Delvin Caraballo-Rodríguez
Jael Rodriguez-Ortiz
Jemily Acosta-Mercado
Josué A. Benjamín-Rivera
Kiara González-González
Kysha Fernández-Adorno
Lisby Santiago-Pagán
Rafael Delgado-Vergara
Xaiomy Torres-Ávila
Andrea Maser-Figueroa
Gladimarys Grajales-Avilés
Glorimar I. Miranda Méndez
Javier Santiago-Pagán
Miguel Nieves-Santiago
Vanessa Álvarez-Carrillo
Kai Griebenow
Arthur D. Tinoco
Source :
Inorganics, Vol 9, Iss 11, p 83 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2021.

Abstract

The heme protein cytochrome c (Cyt c) plays pivotal roles in cellular life and death processes. In the respiratory chain of mitochondria, it serves as an electron transfer protein, contributing to the proliferation of healthy cells. In the cell cytoplasm, it activates intrinsic apoptosis to terminate damaged cells. Insight into these mechanisms and the associated physicochemical properties and biomolecular interactions of Cyt c informs on the anticancer therapeutic potential of the protein, especially in its ability to subvert the current limitations of small molecule-based chemotherapy. In this review, we explore the development of Cyt c as an anticancer drug by identifying cancer types that would be receptive to the cytotoxicity of the protein and factors that can be finetuned to enhance its apoptotic potency. To this end, some information is obtained by characterizing known drugs that operate, in part, by triggering Cyt c induced apoptosis. The application of different smart drug delivery systems is surveyed to highlight important features for maintaining Cyt c stability and activity and improving its specificity for cancer cells and high drug payload release while recognizing the continuing limitations. This work serves to elucidate on the optimization of the strategies to translate Cyt c to the clinical market.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
23046740
Volume :
9
Issue :
11
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Inorganics
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fe1538b7c8849238d3ba678d4a463d2
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics9110083