3D cryo-correlative X-ray nanoimaging: expanding the intracellular landscape to decipher the target of a highly potent anticancer succinimid

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal cancers with a prognosis for most patients of six-month survival period. This has encouraged the exploration of some organometallic complexes in this area. Recent research show that often they target the mitochondrial system or inhibit kinases or redox proteins overexpressed in cancer cells. We have discovered a succinimido-ferrociphenol iron-based compound with an exceptional antitumoral effect on various type of cancers, particulalrly pancreatic ones. We could also confirm its potential in vivo in glioma or murine xenografted-melanoma when it is loaded in lipid nanocapsules. It is thus essential considering the pharmacological potential of this organometallic compound to understand the intracellular targets and pathway of this ferrociphenol in aggressive pancreatic MIA PaCa-2 cells. We expect to unravel it through 3D correlative optical fluorescence microscopy and X-ray fluorescence nanoimaging at ID16A.