Unlocking Gold's Potential in Fighting Deadly Cancer

Scientists have been tinkering with different metal compounds to fight cancer. They've found that some of these metals can trigger a specific kind of cell death that gets the immune system's attention. This type of cell death is called immunogenic cell death, or ICD for short. Researchers have created 35 new gold-based compounds. These compounds have special parts called dithiocarbamate ligands. Out of these, 25 have never been seen before. These new compounds were tested to see how well they could induce ICD in a type of cancer called malignant pleural mesothelioma, or MPM. This cancer is tough to treat because it doesn't usually trigger much of an immune response. The ability of these gold compounds to induce ICD depended on their structure and how well they could dissolve in fats. Some of these compounds were great at getting immune cells to eat up the cancer cells, a process called phagocytosis. But not all of them could keep the immune response going for a long time. One compound, called 2G, was a standout. It had high phagocytosis rates and low necrosis rates. This means it got the immune system to eat up the cancer cells without causing too much cell death. This led to a strong and lasting immune response in mice. On the other hand, another compound, 1C, had high phagocytosis and high necrosis rates. It couldn't keep the immune response going, but it did trigger a specific protein called calreticulin in tumors when given directly. This research gives a roadmap for predicting how similar gold compounds might work in living organisms. It could even help with other types of metal compounds. The findings suggest that the structure of these compounds and their ability to dissolve in fats are key factors in how well they can induce ICD. This could lead to new ways to fight cancer by getting the immune system more involved.