Antiproliferative effects of mitochondria-targeted N-acetylcysteine and analogs in cancer cells

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used as an antioxidant drug in tumor cells and preclinical mice tumor xenografts, and it improves adaptive immunotherapy in melanoma. NAC is not readily bioavailable and is used in high concentrations. The effects of NAC have been attributed to its antioxidant and redox signaling role in mitochondria. New thiol-containing molecules targeted to mitochondria are needed. Here, mitochondria-targeted NAC with a 10-carbon alkyl side chain attached to a triphenylphosphonium group (Mito(10)-NAC) that is functionally similar to NAC was synthesized and studied. Mito(10)-NAC has a free sulfhydryl group and is more hydrophobic than NAC. Mito(10)-NAC is nearly 2000-fold more effective than NAC in inhibiting several cancer cells, including pancreatic cancer cells. Methylation of NAC and Mito(10)-NAC also inhibited cancer cell proliferation. Mito(10)-NAC inhibits mitochondrial complex I-induced respiration and, in combination with monocarboxylate transporter 1 inhibitor, synergistically decreased pancreatic cancer cell proliferation. Results suggest that the antiproliferative effects of NAC and Mito(10)-NAC are unlikely to be related to their antioxidant mechanism (i.e., scavenging of reactive oxygen species) or to the sulfhydryl group-dependent redox modulatory effects.