Quinoline-based tetrazolium prochelators: formazan release, iron sequestration, and antiproliferative efficacy in cancer cells.

Iron-binding strategies in anticancer drug design target the key role of iron in cancer growth. The incorporation of a quinoline moiety in the design of tetrazolium-based prochelators facilitates their intracellular reduction/activation to iron-binding formazans. The new prochelators are antiproliferative at submicromolar levels, induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and impact iron signaling in cancer cells.