Effect of sunitinib derivatives on glioblastoma single-cell migration and 3D cell cultures

Girstaute Dabkeviciute; Ellias Maccioni; Vilma Petrikaite

Effect of sunitinib derivatives on glioblastoma single-cell migration and 3D cell cultures

Am J Cancer Res. 2023 Apr 15;13(4):1377-1386. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Girstaute Dabkeviciute^{1

2}, Ellias Maccioni³, Vilma Petrikaite^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University Sauletekio al. 7, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
² Laboratory of Drug Targets Histopathology, Institute of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Sukileliu pr. 13, LT-50162, Kaunas, Lithuania.
³ Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy.

PMID: 37168355
PMCID: PMC10164792

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity of 16 new sunitinib derivatives in brain cancer cells (2D model) and spheroids (3D model). The effect on cell viability was determined by the MTT assay. Single-cell migration assay was performed to examine the effect of selected compounds on individual cell migration. The activity of compounds in 3D cell cultures was examined by measuring the size change of spheroids formed using the Hanging drop method. The viability of brain cancer (U-87MG and A-172) cells was most reduced by compound EMAC4001. EMAC4001 showed the strongest effect on U-87MG cell migration, and EMAC4007 was the most active in the A-172 cell line. Only sunitinib had a statistically significant impact on spheroid growth at 100 nM and 500 nM concentrations in the U87-MG cell line and EMAC4007 had a statistically significant impact on A-172 spheroid growth at 100 nM and 500 nM concentrations, similarly to sunitinib.

Keywords: Sunitinib analogs; cell migration; glioblastoma; spheroids; tyrosine kinase inhibitors.