Misidentified LO2 and SGC-7901 cell lines challenge the claimed selectivity of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes.

In this commentary, I express concerns about the misidentification of the LO2 and SGC-7901 cell lines used by Tian and his colleagues in their study of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes with alleged anti-cancer properties. While these compounds appear to inhibit tumor growth by inducing cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, ferroptosis, autophagy, and immunogenic cell death, the authors' claims of selectivity are undermined by their reliance on the LO2 line as a "normal liver cell". It is well established that the LO2 line is a HeLa derivative, rather than a benign hepatocyte culture. Similarly, the SGC-7901 cell line used by Tian and colleagues is HeLa-derived. Therefore, the reported cytotoxicity profiles may not reflect true selectivity for non-malignant hepatocytes. Future assessments of these ruthenium(II) complexes must therefore incorporate fully authenticated cell lines, including genuine primary cultures or rigorously validated immortalized hepatocyte controls, in order to establish accurate therapeutic profiles for the compounds tested. Despite these caveats, the observed tumor-inhibitory effects in vivo warrant continued investigation of these complexes under properly controlled conditions.