The novel amino-artemisinin derivative WHN-11 disrupts mitochondria and protein homeostasis, and induces autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells

  • Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):21604. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-05284-7.
Deborah Kajewole  1  2 ,  Ho Ning Wong  3 ,  Alexander von Kriegsheim  4 ,  Richard K Haynes  3  5 ,  Jo-Anne de la Mare  1 ,  Adrienne Lesley Edkins  6
Affiliations
  • 1. Biomedical Biotechnology Research Unit (BioBRU), Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139, South Africa.
  • 2. Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
  • 3. Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia.
  • 4. Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
  • 5. Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2531, South Africa.
  • 6. Biomedical Biotechnology Research Unit (BioBRU), Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139, South Africa. [email protected].
PMID: 40594474 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-05284-7
Abstract

Semi-synthetic derivatives of artemisinin exhibit anti-cancer activity in vitro and in vivo in addition to anti-malarial activity. Here, we report the anti-cancer and anti-cancer stem cell potential of novel C-10 substituted amino-artemisinin derivatives. Of these, the 4'-trifluoromethylarylurea piperazinyl derivative WHN-11 demonstrated cytotoxic activity at high nanomolar concentrations across a range of Cancer cell lines. WHN-11 reduced short- and long-term survival of triple-negative breast Cancer (TNBC) cells, a highly aggressive breast Cancer subtype that currently lacks standardized targeted treatments. Mechanistically, WHN-11 induced a stress response and increased proteasome-mediated turnover of ubiquitinated proteins. WHN-11 promoted mitochondrial depolarization and fission, suppressing the expression of anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma extra-large (Bcl-xL) protein and ATP synthesis, thereby decreasing cellular energy production, and inducing Apoptosis. WHN-11 treatment also increased autophagosomes, acidic vesicular organelles and lipid droplets. Activation or inhibition of Autophagy synergized with the activity of WHN-11 in promoting cellular toxicity, as did increasing cellular dependence on Oxidative Phosphorylation. Unexpectedly, the effects of WHN-11 appear independent of substantial Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production. Taken together, these data suggest that amino-artemisinins related to WHN-11 are promising candidates for anti-TNBC therapies targeting the mitochondria alone or in combination with Autophagy modulators.

Keywords
Amino-artemisinin; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Mitochondrial fission; Reactive oxygen species (ROS); Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
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