Lucanthone is an innovative inhibitor of autophagy that triggers apoptosis mediated by cathepsin D. The MTT assay was used to assess cell viability in order to investigate suanthone's anticancer properties. In seven different cell lines of breast cancer, sulfanthone similarly decreased cell viability. Moreover, a direct comparison demonstrated that suanthone had a lower average IC50 of 7.2 μM compared to 66 μM for chloroquine (CQ) in terms of lowering the viability of breast cancer cells. By using the trypan blue exclusion method and the ATPlite test to measure the cell viability of two typical cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and BT-20), comparable findings were achieved [2].

Absorption, Distribution and Excretion
Orally available

[1]. Graphene nanoribbons as a drug delivery agent for lucanthone mediated therapy of glioblastoma multiforme. Nanomedicine. 2015 Jan;11(1):109-18.

[2]. Lucanthone is a novel inhibitor of autophagy that induces cathepsin D-mediated apoptosis. J Biol Chem. 2011 Feb 25;286(8):6602-13.

Lucanthone is a thioxanthen-9-one compound having a methyl substituent at the 1-position and a 2-[(diethylamino)ethyl]amino substituent at the 4-position. Formerly used for the treatment of schistosomiasis. It is a prodrug, being metabolised to hycanthone. It has a role as a schistosomicide drug, an antineoplastic agent, a photosensitizing agent, an EC 5.99.1.2 (DNA topoisomerase) inhibitor, an EC 5.99.1.3 [DNA topoisomerase (ATP-hydrolysing)] inhibitor, a prodrug, an adjuvant and a mutagen.
One of the schistosomicides, it has been replaced largely by hycanthone and more recently praziquantel. (From Martindale The Extrapharmacopoeia, 30th ed., p46). It is currently being tested as a radiation sensitizer.
Lucanthone is an orally available thioxanthone-based DNA intercalator and inhibitor of the DNA repair enzyme apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APEX1 or APE1), with anti-schistosomal and potential antineoplastic activity. Lucanthone intercalates DNA and interferes with the activity of topoisomerases I and II during replication and transcription, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of macromolecules. In addition, this agent specifically inhibits the endonuclease activity of APE1, without affecting its redox activity, resulting in un-repaired DNA strand breaks which may induce apoptosis. Therefore, lucanthone may sensitize tumor cells to radiation and chemotherapy. Furthermore, lucanthone inhibits autophagy through the disruption of lysosomal function. The multifunctional nuclease APE1 is a key component for DNA repair; its expression is often correlated with tumor cell resistance to radio- and chemotherapy.
One of the SCHISTOSOMICIDES, it has been replaced largely by HYCANTHONE and more recently PRAZIQUANTEL. (From Martindale The Extrapharmacopoeia, 30th ed., p46)
See also: Thioxanthone (annotation moved to).

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Drug Indication
Intended for use as a radiation sensitizer in the treatment of brain cancer.

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Mechanism of Action
Recent data suggests that lucanthone inhibits post-radiation DNA repair in tumor cells. The ability of lucanthone to inhibit AP endonuclease and topoisomerase II probably account for the specific DNA repair inhibition in irradiated cells.

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Pharmacodynamics
Although lucanthone has structural and biochemical similarities to Actinomycin D, it has no hematological or gastro-intestinal toxicity at clinically tolerated doses. In trials, Lucanthone was found to be safe, practical and effective and was proposed for use in clinical protocols for the treatment of cancer. The specificity of lucanthone in combination with radiation for the treatment of brain tumors arises from the fact that lucanthone acts preferentially on cycling cells (most of the normal brain cells are non-cycling) and the fact that lucanthone crosses the blood brain barrier efficiently.

C20H24N2OS

340.48

340.161

479-50-5

Lucanthone hydrochloride;548-57-2

10180

Off-white to orange solid powder

1.184g/cm3

512.4ºC at 760 mmHg

195-196ºC

263.7ºC

1.3E-10mmHg at 25°C

1.638

4.549

1

4

6

24

426

0

FBQPGGIHOFZRGH-UHFFFAOYSA-N

InChI=1S/C20H24N2OS/c1-4-22(5-2)13-12-21-16-11-10-14(3)20-18(16)19(23)15-8-6-7-9-17(15)24-20/h6-11,21H,4-5,12-13H2,1-3H3

1-[2-(diethylamino)ethylamino]-4-methylthioxanthen-9-one

CCRIS 1106; NCIMech000830; Lucanthone monohydrochloride

2934.99.9001

Powder      -20°C    3 years

                     4°C     2 years

In solvent   -80°C    6 months

                  -20°C    1 month

Room temperature (This product is stable at ambient temperature for a few days during ordinary shipping and time spent in Customs)

DMSO : ~25 mg/mL (~73.43 mM)

Note: Listed below are some common formulations that may be used to formulate products with low water solubility (e.g. < 1 mg/mL), you may test these formulations using a minute amount of products to avoid loss of samples.

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Injection Formulation 1: DMSO : Tween 80： Saline = 10 : 5 : 85 (i.e. 100 μL DMSO stock solution → 50 μL Tween 80 → 850 μL Saline)
*Preparation of saline: Dissolve 0.9 g of sodium chloride in 100 mL ddH ₂ O to obtain a clear solution.
Injection Formulation 2: DMSO : PEG300 ：Tween 80 : Saline = 10 : 40 : 5 : 45 (i.e. 100 μL DMSO → 400 μLPEG300 → 50 μL Tween 80 → 450 μL Saline)
Injection Formulation 3: DMSO : Corn oil = 10 : 90 (i.e. 100 μL DMSO → 900 μL Corn oil)
Example: Take the Injection Formulation 3 (DMSO : Corn oil = 10 : 90) as an example, if 1 mL of 2.5 mg/mL working solution is to be prepared, you can take 100 μL 25 mg/mL DMSO stock solution and add to 900 μL corn oil, mix well to obtain a clear or suspension solution (2.5 mg/mL, ready for use in animals).

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Injection Formulation 4: DMSO : 20% SBE-β-CD in saline = 10 : 90 [i.e. 100 μL DMSO → 900 μL (20% SBE-β-CD in saline)]
*Preparation of 20% SBE-β-CD in Saline (4°C，1 week): Dissolve 2 g SBE-β-CD in 10 mL saline to obtain a clear solution.
Injection Formulation 5: 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin : Saline = 50 : 50 (i.e. 500 μL 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin → 500 μL Saline)
Injection Formulation 6: DMSO : PEG300 : castor oil : Saline = 5 : 10 : 20 : 65 (i.e. 50 μL DMSO → 100 μLPEG300 → 200 μL castor oil → 650 μL Saline)
Injection Formulation 7: Ethanol : Cremophor : Saline = 10： 10 : 80 (i.e. 100 μL Ethanol → 100 μL Cremophor → 800 μL Saline)
Injection Formulation 8: Dissolve in Cremophor/Ethanol (50 : 50), then diluted by Saline
Injection Formulation 9: EtOH : Corn oil = 10 : 90 (i.e. 100 μL EtOH → 900 μL Corn oil)
Injection Formulation 10: EtOH : PEG300：Tween 80 : Saline = 10 : 40 : 5 : 45 (i.e. 100 μL EtOH → 400 μLPEG300 → 50 μL Tween 80 → 450 μL Saline)

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Oral Formulation 1: Suspend in 0.5% CMC Na (carboxymethylcellulose sodium)
Oral Formulation 2: Suspend in 0.5% Carboxymethyl cellulose
Example: Take the Oral Formulation 1 (Suspend in 0.5% CMC Na) as an example, if 100 mL of 2.5 mg/mL working solution is to be prepared, you can first prepare 0.5% CMC Na solution by measuring 0.5 g CMC Na and dissolve it in 100 mL ddH2O to obtain a clear solution; then add 250 mg of the product to 100 mL 0.5% CMC Na solution, to make the suspension solution (2.5 mg/mL, ready for use in animals).

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Oral Formulation 3: Dissolved in PEG400
Oral Formulation 4: Suspend in 0.2% Carboxymethyl cellulose
Oral Formulation 5: Dissolve in 0.25% Tween 80 and 0.5% Carboxymethyl cellulose
Oral Formulation 6: Mixing with food powders

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Note: Please be aware that the above formulations are for reference only. InvivoChem strongly recommends customers to read literature methods/protocols carefully before determining which formulation you should use for in vivo studies, as different compounds have different solubility properties and have to be formulated differently.

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 (Please use freshly prepared in vivo formulations for optimal results.)