Anticancer properties of complexes derived from bidentate ligands

Cancer is the abnormal division and multiplication of cells in an organ or tissue. It is the second leading cause of death globally. There are various types of cancer such as prostate, breast, colon, lung, stomach, liver, skin, and many others depending on the tissue or organ where the abnormal growth originates. Despite the huge investment in the development of anticancer agents, the transition of research to medications that improve substantially the treatment of cancer is less than 10%. Cisplatin and its analogs are ubiquitous metal-based anticancer agents notable for the treatment of various cancerous cells and tumors but unfortunately accompanied by large toxicities due to low selectivity between cancerous and normal cells. The improved toxicity profile of cisplatin analogs bearing bidentate ligands has motivated the synthesis of vast metal complexes of bidentate ligands. Complexes derived from bidentate ligands such as β-diketones, diolefins, benzimidazoles and dithiocarbamates have been reported to possess 20 to 15,600-fold better anticancer activity, when tested on cell lines, than some known antitumor drugs currently on the market, e.g. cisplatin, oxaliplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil. This work discusses the anticancer properties of various metal complexes derived from bidentate ligands, for possible application in chemotherapy. The results discussed were evaluated by the IC50 values as obtained from cell line tests on various metal-bidentate complexes. The structure-activity relationship study of the complexes discussed, revealed that hydrophobicity is a key factor that influences anticancer properties of molecules.

Eu(III)-coordination polymer: inhibitory activity on cervical cancer via inducing ROS mediated apoptosis

Under the hydrothermal reaction condition, we prepared a new 3D Eu(III)-based coordination polymer (CP) [Eu(H₂-DHBDC)_0.5(DHBDC)_0.5 (H₂O)₂] _n ·H₂O (1, H₄-DHBDC = 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-terephthalic acid). Furthermore, we assessed the inhibitory influence on cervical cancer cells of this compound. First, for testing the anti-viability of the compound against cervical cancer cells, the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was carried out. Then, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection kit was used to determine the ROS accumulation in the cervical cancer cells. Finally, after the Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis assay was finished, it was used for apoptotic cervical cancer cells after treated with compound. From the results of the software of pose scoring and molecular docking, we can see that the compound may bind to p91 by the functional side-chain of the ligand, which provided potential regulatory mechanisms for the compound.