Ibuprofen has been reported to possess anticancer activity. In the present work, four ibuprofen conjugates of resorcinarene-Polyamidoamine PAMAM-dendrimers were synthesized with eight or 16 ibuprofen moieties. The ibuprofen was released from the dendrimers in a dependent manner. The drug-conjugated nanoresorcinarene-dendrimers showed higher cellular uptake than free ibuprofen. In vitro cytotoxicity studies were performed with free ibuprofen and with the synthesized conjugates in U251, PC-3, K-562, HCT-15, MCF-7, SKLU-1, and MDA U251 (human glioblastoma), PC-3 (human prostatic adenocarcinoma), K-562 (human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells), HCT-15 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (human mammary adenocarcinoma), SKLU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma), and MDA-MB-231 (human mammary adenocarcinoma) cancer cell lines by different cytotoxicity assays. Ibuprofen conjugates of the first and second generations showed significant cytotoxic effects towards the human glioblastoma (U251) and human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7, MDA) cell lines. Moreover, the ibuprofen conjugates improved cytotoxicity compared to free ibuprofen. Increased therapeutic efficacy was observed with specific ibuprofen conjugates of the second generation using low doses.
A series of 5-aryl-1,4-benzodiazepines with chloro- or fluoro-substituents in the second ring have been synthesized and their anti-inflammatory, myeloperoxidase and anticancer properties studied. The synthesized compounds showed potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, which were enhanced in the presence of a chloro-substituent in the second ring of the 5-aryl-1,4- benzodiazepine.