SM-1, a novel PAC-1 derivative, activates procaspase-3 and causes cancer cell apoptosis

Purpose To develop more potent procaspase-3 activator, 7 novel derivatives of PAC-1 were synthesized and evaluated. Among them, SM-1 stood out for its promising activity and good pharmacokinetics properties. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of SM-1 and evaluate its efficacy and toxicity in-depth.