Effect of anthralin on cell viability in human prostate adenocarcinoma.

The study revealed the key role of serine protease hepsin activity in transition of in situ prostate adenocarcinoma into the metastasizing form. Inhibition of hepsin activity suppresses the invasive growth of the tumor. Hepsin is an convenient target for pharmacological agents, so the study of its inhibitory mechanisms is a promising avenue in drug development. Assay of proteolytic activity in various tumor cell lines in vitro showed that this activity in prostate adenocarcinoma cells significantly surpasses proteolytic activity in other examined tumor cell lines. Selective cytotoxic action of anthralin, an inhibitor of hepsin activity, on human adenocarcinoma cells was demonstrated in comparison with other tumor cell lines.