Enhancement of Selectivity of an Organometallic Anticancer Agent by Redox Modulation

Combination with redox modulators can potentiate the anticancer activity and maximize the selectivity of organometallic complexes with redox-based mechanisms of action. We show that nontoxic doses of l-buthionine sulfoximine increase the selectivity of organo-Os complex FY26 for human ovarian cancer cells versus normal lung fibroblasts to 63-fold. This increase is not due to changes in the mechanism of action of FY26 but to the decreased response of cancer cells to oxidative stress.