Developing a Copper(II) Isopropyl 2-Pyridyl Ketone Thiosemicarbazone Compound Based on the IB Subdomain of Human Serum Albumin–Indomethacin Complex: Inhibiting Tumor Growth by Remodeling the Tumor Microenvironment

Abstract

To develop a next-generation metal agent and dual-agent multitargeted combination therapy, we developed a copper (Cu) compound based on the properties of the human serum albumin (HSA)−indomethacin (IND) complex to remodel the tumor microenvironment (TME). We optimized a series of Cu(II) isopropyl 2-pyridyl ketone thiosemicarbazone compounds to obtain a Cu(II) compound (C4) with significant cytotoxicity and then constructed an HSA−IND−C4 complex (HSA−IND−C4) delivery system. IND and C4 bind to the hydrophobic cavities of the IB and IIA domains of HSA, respectively. In vivo, the HSA−IND−C4 not only showed enhanced antitumor efficacy relative to C4 and C4 + IND but also improved their targeting ability and decreased their side effects. The antitumor mechanism of C4 + IND involved acting on the different components of the TME. IND inhibited tumor-related inflammation, while C4 not only induced apoptosis and autophagy of cancer cells but also inhibited tumor angiogenesis.