Anticancer Activity of Copper Complex of (4R)-(-)-2-Thioxo-4-thiazolidinecarboxylic Acid and 3-Rhodaninepropionic Acid on Prostate and Breast Cancer Cells by Fluorescent Microscopic Imaging

Copper complexes with strong anticancer activity are promising new drugs for treatment of patients with metastatic cancer. Copper 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-thiosemicarbazide (CuHQTS) and copper 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde-4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazide (CuHQDMTS) were found to have strong anticancer activity against cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma cells and prostate cancer cells. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize two new anticancer copper complexes, copper complex of (4R)-(−)-2-Thioxo-4-thiazolidinecarboxylic acid (CuTTDC), and copper complex of 3-Rhodaninepropionic acid-copper complex (CuRDPA). Cell growth inhibition and cytotoxicity of CuTTDC and CuRDPA on prostate and breast cancer cells were evaluated with Cell Counting Kits-8 (CCK8) assay and fluorescent microscopic imaging respectively. Strong anticancer activity of CuTTDC and CuRDPA was demonstrated by growth inhibition and cytotoxicity of prostate and breast cancer cells treated with these two copper complexes, supporting further investigation of potential use of these two new anticancer complexes for treatment of prostate and breast cancer metastasis.