Pillar[5]arenes are a new class of molecular receptors that have proven to be an effective drug delivery system overcoming drug resistance.
Cytotoxicity studies  on MCF7, HUH7, and BEAS-2B cell lines "using MTT-test" revealed that the ester derivative of pillar[5]arene exhibited cytotoxic activity at concentrations ranging from 2.3 to 3.2 μM, whereas the betaine derivative showed activity at significantly higher concentrations (25.1 to 175.6 μM). 
Real-time PCR established that pillar[5]arenes with ester moieties were found to significantly downregulate p21 gene expression in both MCF7 and BEAS-2B cell lines. Additionally, this compound upregulated MDM2 expression in MCF7 cells. 
Despite eliciting a robust cellular response, the pillar[5]arenes demonstrated no clearly quantifiable antitumor activity. However, biological properties correlated with the spatial packing of macrocycles, which opens opportunities for 3D macrocyclic systems.
                    Previous Article in event
            
                            Previous Article in session
            
                    
    
                    Next Article in event
            
                            
                                                    
        
                    Synthesis of decasubstituted pillar[5]arene derivatives containing L-alanine fragments: self-assembly, cytotoxicity, clonogenic assay and gene expression
                
                                    
                
                
                    Published:
19 September 2025
by MDPI
in The 5th International Online Conference on Nanomaterials
session Nanomedicine and Bionanotechnology
                
                
                
                    Abstract: 
                                    
                        Keywords: pillar[5]arene; L-alanine; self-assembly; cytotoxicity, clonogenic assay, p53-dependent gene expression
                    
                
                
                
                 
         
            



 
        
    
    
         
    
    
         
    
    
         
    
    
         
    
