Oxoaporphine Pr(III) complex inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression and metastasis by disrupting tumor cell-macrophage crosstalk.

Tumor cells and macrophages communicate through the secretion of various cytokines to jointly promote the malignant development of cancers. We synthesized and characterized an oxoaporphine Pr(III) complex (PrL(NO)) and found that it inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and metastasis by disrupting HCC cell-macrophage crosstalk. PrL(NO) treatment upregulated CD86, TNF-α, and IL-1β and downregulated CD163, CD206, CCL2, and VEGFA in macrophages.