Overcoming doxorubicin-resistance in the NCI/ADR-RES model cancer cell line by novel anthracene-9,10-dione derivatives.

Overcoming drug resistance with remarkable cytotoxic activity by anthracene-9,10-dione derivatives would offer a potential therapeutic strategy. In this study, we report the synthesis and the cytotoxicity of a novel set of anthraquninones. (4-(4-Aminobenzylamino)-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-yl-4-methylbenzenesulfonate) (3) has excellent in vitro cytotoxicity against doxorubicin-resistant cancer cell line (IC50=0.8 µM), 20-fold higher than doxorubicin. The cytotoxic effect via G2/M arrest does not appear to be ROS.