Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Novel Anticancer Derivatives against Infectious Bacteria for the Potential Minimization of Nosocomial Infections

Abstract

Background: Nosocomial infections are an increasing problem in the United States with a reported 2 million American patients per year developing an infection as a result of their hospital stay (3). Newly synthesized derivatives of two classes of anti-cancer drugs known as anthracyclines and indolocarbazoles have recently been tested against leukemia K562 cells, colon cancer SW620 cells (15-19) and now Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus pyogenes. Methods: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were collected for 40 newly synthesized anticancer agents via microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results: Thirteen anthracycline derivatives and three indolocarbazoles derivatives seemed to show an inhibitory effect to either one or all of the gram-positive organisms tested. The antimicrobial activities obtained in this study were then compared to the anticancer activities published in previous literature, resulting in the discovery of five anthracycline and one indolocarbazole derivatives which demonstrate good inhibition against both bacterial and cancer cell proliferation. Conclusion: The present study dealing with the effects of these drugs on prokaryotic system may help distinguish which drugs could be able to minimize a patient’s chance of acquiring a bacterial infection while in use during chemotherapy. In addition, these studies could also provide more information in terms of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) between the drugs and their designated cellular targets.