A Macrocyclic Ruthenium(III) Complex Inhibits Angiogenesis with Down-Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 and Suppresses Tumor Growth In Vivo

Molecular Design, Spectroscopic, DFT, Pharmacological, and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Ruthenium(III)-Schiff Base Complex: An Inhibitor of Progression in HepG2 Cells

A novel ruthenium(III)-pyrimidine Schiff base was synthesized and characterized using different analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Molecular geometries of the ligand and ruthenium complex were investigated using the DFT-B3LYP level of theory. The quantum global reactivity descriptors were also calculated. Various biological and molecular docking studies of the complex are reported to explore its potential application as a therapeutic drug. Cytotoxicity of the complex was screened against cancer colorectal (HCT116), breast (MCF-7 and T47D), and hepatocellular (HepG2) cell lines as well as a human normal cell line (HSF). The complex effectively inhibited the tested cancer cells with variable degree with higher activity towards HepG2 (IC₅₀ values were 29 μM for HepG2, 38.5 μM for T47D, 39.7 μM for HCT, and 46.7 μM for MCF-7 cells). The complex induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the S phase of HepG2 cells. The complex significantly induced the expression of H2AX and caspase 3 and caspase 7 gene and the protein level of caspase 3, as well as inhibited VEGF-A and mTOR/AKT, SND1, and NF-kB gene expression. The molecular docking studies supported the increased total apoptosis of treated HepG2 cells due to strong interaction of the complex with DNA. Additionally, the possible binding interaction of the complex with caspase 3 could be responsible for the elevated activity of caspase 3-treated cells. The score values for the two receptors were -3.25 and -3.91 kcal/mol.

DNA targeting half sandwich Ru(II)-p-cymene-N^N complexes as cancer cell imaging and terminating agents: influence of regioisomers in cytotoxicity

For diagnosing and annihilating cancer in the human body, herein, we have adopted a one pot convenient synthetic protocol to synthesize a library of half sandwich Ru(ii)-p-cymene-N^N complexes under continuous sonication and isolated their regioisomers by preparative thin layer chromatography followed by justification of stability using DFT. The present work has resulted in a library of ruthenium arene complexes and their isolated regioisomers following environmentally benign green processes and their screening of anticancer activity in terms of cytotoxicity and selectivity against cancer cell lines where [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl{2-(5,6-dichloro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-2-yl)quinolone}] (11j) has been elicited to be significantly more potent as well as selective in Caco-2 and HeLa cell lines than the normal HEK-293 cell line compared to cisplatin and it has even shown marked cytotoxicity against the more aggressive HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line being capable of producing oxidative stress or arresting the cell cycle. Moreover, these types of Ru(ii)-arene complexes exhibited excellent binding efficacy with DNA and the compounds [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl{5-chloro-2-(6-(4-chlorophenyl)pyridin-2-yl)benzo[d]thiazole}]PF6 (8l4), [(η6-p-cymene)Ru-2-(6-(benzofuran-2-yl)pyridin-2-yl)-5-chlorobenzo[d]thiazole (8l9) and [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl{2-(6-nitro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)quinolone}]Cl (11f') and might be applied for cancer theranostic treatment due to their good fluorescence properties and remarkable potency.

New Organometallic Ruthenium(II) Compounds Synergistically Show Cytotoxic, Antimetastatic and Antiangiogenic Activities for the Treatment of Metastatic Cancer

In this study, we newly designed and synthesized a small library of ten structurally related C,N-cyclometalated ruthenium(II) complexes containing various pyridine-functionalized NHC ligand and chelating bipyridyl ligands (e.g., 2,2'-bipyridine, 5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen)). The complexes were well characterized by NMR, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray structure analyses. Among the new ruthenium(II) derivatives, we identified that the complex Ru8 bearing bulky moieties (i.e., phen and pentamethyl benzene) had the most potent cytotoxicity against all tested cancer cell lines, generating dose- and cell line-dependent IC₅₀ values at the range of 3.3-15.0 μm. More significantly, Ru8 not only efficiently inhibited the metastasis process against invasion and migration of tumor cells but also exhibited potent antivascular effects by suppressing HUVEC cells migration and tube formation in vitro and blocking vessel generation in vivo (chicken chorioallantoic membrane model). In a metastatic A2780 tumor xenograft-bearing mouse model, administration of Ru8 outperformed antimetastatic agent NAMI-A and clinically approved cisplatin in terms of antitumor efficacy and inhibition of metastases to other organs. Overall, these data provided compelling evidence that the new cyclometalated ruthenium complex Ru8 is an attractive agent because of synergistically suppressing bulky tumors and metastasized tumor nudes. Therefore, the complex Ru8 deserves further investigations.

An organoruthenium complex overcomes ABCG2-mediated multidrug resistance via multiple mechanisms

An organoruthenium complex, RuF, via multiple mechanisms, exhibited effective anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo for surmounting multidrug resistance mediated by the ABCG2 transporter.

The development of anticancer ruthenium(ii) complexes: from single molecule compounds to nanomaterials

Cancer is rapidly becoming the top killer in the world. Most of the FDA approved anticancer drugs are organic molecules, while metallodrugs are very scarce. The advent of the first metal based therapeutic agent, cisplatin, launched a new era in the application of transition metal complexes for therapeutic design. Due to their unique and versatile biochemical properties, ruthenium-based compounds have emerged as promising anti-cancer agents that serve as alternatives to cisplatin and its derivertives. Ruthenium(iii) complexes have successfully been used in clinical research and their mechanisms of anticancer action have been reported in large volumes over the past few decades. Ruthenium(ii) complexes have also attracted significant attention as anticancer candidates; however, only a few of them have been reported comprehensively. In this review, we discuss the development of ruthenium(ii) complexes as anticancer candidates and biocatalysts, including arene ruthenium complexes, polypyridyl ruthenium complexes, and ruthenium nanomaterial complexes. This review focuses on the likely mechanisms of action of ruthenium(ii)-based anticancer drugs and the relationship between their chemical structures and biological properties. This review also highlights the catalytic activity and the photoinduced activation of ruthenium(ii) complexes, their targeted delivery, and their activity in nanomaterial systems.