A novel water-soluble benzothiazole derivative BD926 triggers ROS-mediated B lymphoma cell apoptosis via mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum signaling pathways.

ABSTRACT

Benzothiazole derivatives are known for various biological activities, and their potency in cancer therapy have received considerable attention in recent years. However, the poor water solubility of most benzothiazole derivatives has limited their clinical application. We developed BD926, a novel water-soluble benzothiazole derivative and showed here that it could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of human Ramos B-lymphoma cells. We further showed that BD926 triggered apoptosis through both mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum pathways. Moreover, BD926 caused cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 stage. Furthermore, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed after BD926 treatment and ROS inhibitor was able to attenuate BD926-induced apoptosis, which suggested that BD926-induced apoptosis may be due to over-producing ROS. These results demonstrate the anticancer effects of BD926 in cell models and raise the possibility for the application of BD926 in cancer therapy.