ArticleBiometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine2026
Concomitant induction of apoptosis and suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by a Cu(II)-flavonoid complex in colorectal cancer.
Article in Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Notwithstanding progress in chemotherapy, cancer recurrence resulting from metastasis continues to be a significant challenge. Consequently, targeting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has emerged as a viable approach to impede metastasis and enhance therapy success. In colorectal cancer, current initiatives focus on discovering new agents that are both efficacious and less harmful to normal cells. Plant-derived flavonoids and metal-based compounds exhibit significant medicinal potential. This research examined the anticancer efficacy of a Cu(II)-flavonoid complex comprising quercetin and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands in colorectal cancer cell lines HCT-116 and HT-29. The sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay assessed cell viability, yielding IC₅₀ values of 3.19 μM for HCT-116 and 1.81 μM for HT-29 after 48 h, but the individual ligands demonstrated no similar cytotoxicity. The compound exhibited lower cytotoxicity to normal colon cells (CCD-18Co) than toward colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116 and HT-29). Apoptosis induction was verified with Hoechst 33342, Annexin-V-FITC, and propidium Iodide staining, supplemented by M30-antigen ELISA, and further corroborated by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK and elevated levels of apoptotic protein markers such as cleaved caspase-8 and parp-1. Flow cytometry revealed G₀/G₁ phase arrest, indicating caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. The compound also impeded epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as demonstrated by a dose-dependent reduction in migration and invasion in wound healing and Matrigel invasion experiments. Western blot analysis revealed elevated levels of E-cadherin and reduced levels of N-cadherin, vimentin, and snail. The Cu(II)-flavonoid combination demonstrates significant anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-metastatic properties in colorectal cancer cells, while exhibiting lower cytotoxic effects in normal colon cells. This underscores its potential as a viable candidate for additional molecular and in vivo assessment of the complex in colorectal cancer.
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