Description
Nutlin-3 is an imidazoline inhibitor of MDM2, preventing the interaction between MDM2 and p53. Nutlin-3 exhibits anticancer chemotherapeutic and anti-diabetic activities. Nutlin-3 increases production of ROS, activation of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and JNK, and increases expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in colon cancer cells and osteosarcoma cells; similarly, it induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Nutlin-3 also inhibits the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), inhibiting phosphorylation of Smad2/3, suppressing cell motility, and enhancing the efficacy of other chemotherapeutics in animal models. In animal models of diabetes, this compound attenuates the effects of the disease, decreasing weight loss, increasing IL-12 production, and lowering rates of hyperglycemia.