The progression of a new class of compounds to inhibit the uncontrolled proliferation of carcinoma cells has become one of the most powerful weapons to combat "cancer". To this end, a new Mn(II)-based metal-organic framework, namely, [{Mn(5N3-IPA)(3-pmh)}(H2O)]α (5N3H2-IPA = 5-azidoisophthalic acid and 3-pmh = (3-pyridylmethylene)hydrazone), has been synthesized adopting a mixed ligand approach and exploited as a successful anticancer agent via systematic in vitro and in vivo studies. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses depict that MOF 1 exhibits a 2D pillar-layer structure consisting of water molecules in each 2D void space. Due to the insolubility of the as-synthesized MOF 1, a green hand grinding methodology has been adopted to scale down the particle size to the nanoregime keeping its structural integrity intact. The nanoscale metal-organic framework (NMOF 1) adopts a discrete spherical morphology as affirmed by scanning electron microscopic analysis. The photoluminescence studies revealed that NMOF 1 is highly luminescent, enhancing its biomedical proficiency. Initially, the affinity of the synthesized NMOF 1 for GSH-reduced has been evaluated by various physicochemical techniques. NMOF 1 constrains the proliferation of cancer cells in vitro by inducing G2/M seizure and accordingly leads to apoptotic cell death. More significantly, compared to cancer cells, NMOF 1 exhibits less cytotoxicity against normal cells. It has been demonstrated that NMOF 1 interacts with GSH, causing a drop in cellular GSH levels and the production of intercellular ROS. It is quite intriguing that we discovered that NMOF 1-mediated ROS generation aids in significantly modifying the mitochondrial redox status, which is a crucial factor in apoptosis. According to mechanistic research, NMOF 1 increases the production of proapoptotic proteins and lowers the expression of antiapoptotic proteins, which significantly aids in activating caspase 3 and the subsequent cleavage of PARP1 and cell death via intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Finally, an in vivo investigation using immuno-competent syngeneic mice demonstrates that NMOF 1 can stop tumor growth without causing adverse side effects.
Keywords: anticancer activity; glutathione interactions; in vivo assay; metal−organic framework; molecular docking; nano MOF.