Anticancer activities of bis(pyrazol-1-ylthiocarbonyl)disulfides against HeLa cells

Oxidation of the pyrazol-1-yldithiocarbamate compounds {[3,5-R2C3HN2CS2](-) (R = H, Me) and indazol-1-lydithiocarbamate by iodine produces the sulfur-sulfur coupling compounds {R'C(S)S-S(S)CR') (R' = pyrazolyl, 3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl, indazolyl). All compounds were spectroscopically characterised, and, in some cases, structurally characterised. The X-ray structures reveal that these compounds contain a disulfide bridging the pyrazolylthiocarbonyl units. Two of the three disulfide compounds showed very good anticancer activities against HeLa cells at micromolar concentrations, with the most active compound active being 9.6 times more selective in its activity towards tumour cells than normal cells.