New findings in the study on the intercalation of bisdaunorubicin and its monomeric analogues with naked and nucleus DNA.

DNA is a target molecule for anthracycline anticancer drugs. We have used new anthracycline derivatives, bisdaunorubicin (WP631) and its monomeric analogues (WP700 serie), and look if there was a relation between the drug binding affinity to naked DNA and to cell nucleus in the cell with its cytotoxicity. Circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence were used to follow the interaction of anthracycline derivatives with naked DNA and cell nuclei.