Novel anti-cancer drug candidates with immunotherapeutic potentials

Abstract

Cancer is a group of diseases that occurs when cells grow rapidly and uncontrollably, divide and metastasize to the other tissues and organs. In addition, it was stated that the total number of cases worldwide in 2018 was 18.1 million, while the death rate was 9 million. In cancer therapy, treatment is done by using radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical intervention and various other anti-cancer drugs. These methods damage normal cells as well as cancerous cells, and their side effects are versatile and severe. It is important to do research and develop the potential specific drug candidates with fewer side effects. In addition, the immune system is of great importance because of its effects in the emergence and development of cancer and in preventing its spread to the other tissues. It is known that cancer cells have an interplay with the immune system cells which eventually leads to the suppression of the anti-tumor activity. Therefore, various immunomodulation methods as part of cancer immunotherapy have been developed and utilized in the field. Phenothiazine derivatives, which have a wide range of uses, are very important because of our ability to generate novel varieties with different functions as anti-cancer drug candidates. In our study we are aiming to generate and characterize novel phenothiazine derivatives and decipher their anti-cancer as well as immunomodulatory activities.