UKRAIN is Selectively Cytostatic and/or Cytotoxic to Human Tumor and HIV-Infected Cells but not to Human Normal Cells

Andrejs Liepins and Jaroslaw W. Nowicky

Memorial University, Faculty of Medicine, St. John`s, NFLD, Canada AIB-3V6 and Ukrainian Anti-cancer Institute, Laimgrubengasse 19/7, A-1060 Vienna, Austria

The effects of UKRAIN (an alkaloid thiophosphoric acid conjugate) on the growth of 60 human tumor cell lines (NCI cell panel) as well as HIV-infected cells has been investigated. Results showed that this drug is cytostatic and cytotoxic to human leukemias, non-small or small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, CNS cancer, melanomas, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, as well as to HIV-infected T4 leukemia cells (CEM cell line). The mean molar concentration required to achieve 50% groth inhibition of the 60 human tumor cell lines was 10^-5.5M; 10^-4.8M for total cell growth inhibition and 10^-4.17M for 50% cell lysis. The growth and viability of normal human endothelial cells, human skin fibroblasts and PBLs were not affected by 10^-4M of UKRAIN, a concentration which caused 100% growth inhibition to the 60 human tumor cell lines tested.