MitoCur-1, a curcumin analogue, acts as an inhibitor of mitochondrial antioxidative enzyme thioredoxin reductase 2 (TrxR2), possessing electrophilic characteristics with mitochondrial-targeting capabilities. This compound specifically induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, demonstrating antitumor efficacy [1].

MitoCur-1在HepG2和L02细胞中显示出选择性细胞毒性，其IC 50值分别为1.4 μM和9.1 μM[1]。在HepG2细胞里，MitoCur-1 (10 μM; 12 h)能产生ROS并特异性地耗尽GSH[1]。此外，MitoCur-1 (10 μM; 24 h)能够导致细胞周期在G0/G1期停滞，并抑制细胞周期蛋白的表达[1]。

MitoCur-1（5 mg/kg、15 mg/kg；腹腔注射；隔日给药，连续4周）能有效地抑制小鼠肿瘤模型的生长，而对小鼠体重不产生影响[1]。