# Rational Design, Synthesis, and Systematic Evaluation of Redox-Responsive SN-38 Prodrugs for Selective Activation in Hypoxic Tumor Microenvironments

## TL;DR

This study designs and tests new SN-38 prodrugs that activate selectively in hypoxic tumors, reducing toxicity while maintaining effectiveness.

## Contribution

The novel cyclic disulfide-based SN-38 prodrug (SN-38-CSS) shows improved redox and hypoxia responsiveness for targeted drug delivery.

## Key findings

- Both prodrugs remained stable in human plasma and under normal oxygen conditions, reducing off-target toxicity.
- SN-38-CSS showed comparable cytotoxicity to SN-38 in hypoxic tumor cells, demonstrating effective activation.
- The cyclic disulfide linker in SN-38-CSS outperformed the linear linker in redox responsiveness and drug release.

## Abstract

Background: The potent topoisomerase I inhibitor SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, is limited in clinical application due to severe systemic toxicity. Prodrug strategies enabling selective activation in the tumor microenvironment offer a promising approach to improve its therapeutic index. This study aims to rationally design, synthesize, and systematically evaluate novel disulfide-based SN-38 prodrugs engineered for redox-responsive activation in hypoxic tumors. Methods: Two novel disulfide-based SN-38 prodrugs (SN-38-CSS and SN-38-LSS) were designed and synthesized; SN-38-CSS incorporates a constrained cis-piperazine-fused six-membered cyclic disulfide linker, while SN-38-LSS contains a linear disulfide tether, to differentially exploit the upregulated thioredoxin (Trx/TrxR) system in hypoxic tumor microenvironments. Results: Both prodrugs demonstrated high stability under physiological pH conditions and in human plasma, minimizing premature release. Crucially, they exhibited selective, rapid degradation in the presence of dithiol reductants (TCEP and DTT), mimicking Trx system activity, while remaining stable towards monothiols (GSH, L-Cys). In vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed that the prodrugs exhibited significantly reduced toxicity compared to SN-38 under normoxic conditions across most tested cell lines. However, under hypoxic conditions, their activity was significantly restored. Specifically, SN-38-CSS exhibited cytotoxicity comparable to SN-38 against MCF-7 and NCI-N87 cells, whereas SN-38-LSS showed lower activation efficiency. Conclusions: SN-38-CSS is identified as a promising redox and hypoxia dual-responsive prodrug candidate, highlighting the strategic use of cyclic disulfide linkers for achieving high selectivity and controlled drug release within the tumor microenvironment.