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Vitali V, Massai L, Messori L. Strategies for the design of analogs of auranofin endowed with anticancer potential. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:855-867. [PMID: 38803122 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2355329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Auranofin (AF) is a well-established, FDA-approved, antiarthritic gold drug that is currently being reevaluated for a variety of therapeutic indications through drug repurposing. AF has shown great promise as a potential anticancer agent and has been approved for a few clinical trials in cancer. The renewed interest in AF has led to extensive research into the design, preparation and biological evaluation of auranofin analogs, which may have an even better pharmacological profile than the parent drug. AREAS COVERED This article reviews the strategies for chemical modification of the AF scaffold. Several auranofin analogs have been prepared and characterized for medical application in the field of cancer treatment over the last 20 years. Some emerging structure-function relationships are proposed and discussed. EXPERT OPINION The chemical modification of the AF scaffold has been the subject of intense activity in recent years and this strategy has led to the preparation and evaluation of several AF analogs. The case of iodauranofin is a particularly promising example. The availability of homogeneous biological data for a group of AF derivatives allows some initial structure-function relationships to be proposed, which may inspire the design and synthesis of new and better AF analogs for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Vitali
- Laboratory of Metals in Medicine (MetMed), Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Lara Massai
- Laboratory of Metals in Medicine (MetMed), Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Luigi Messori
- Laboratory of Metals in Medicine (MetMed), Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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Giorgi E, Mannelli M, Gamberi T, Durante M, Gabbiani C, Cirri D, Pratesi A. Cytotoxic auranofin analogues bearing phosphine, arsine and stibine ligands: A study on the possible role of the ligand on the biological activity. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 251:112452. [PMID: 38070433 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Three gold(I) linear compounds, sharing the general formula [AuI(LPh3)], have been synthesized and characterized. The nature of the ligand has been modified by moving down among some of the elements of group 15, i.e. phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. The structures of derived compounds have been solved through XRD and the reactivity behaviour towards selected biomolecules has been investigated through a multi-technique approach involving NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry and IR. Moreover, the biological activity of the investigated compounds has been comparatively analyzed through classical methodologies and the disclosed differences are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Giorgi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Michele Mannelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Tania Gamberi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Maria Durante
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Gabbiani
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Damiano Cirri
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Pratesi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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Merlino A. Metallodrug binding to serum albumin: Lessons from biophysical and structural studies. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2023.215026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Cirri D, Massai L, Giacomelli C, Trincavelli ML, Guerri A, Gabbiani C, Messori L, Pratesi A. Synthesis, chemical characterization, and biological evaluation of a novel auranofin derivative as an anticancer agent. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:13527-13539. [PMID: 36000524 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt00836j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A novel gold(I) complex inspired by the known medicinal inorganic compounds auranofin and thimerosal, namely ethylthiosalicylate(triethylphosphine)gold(I) (AFETT hereafter), was synthesized and characterised and its structure was resolved through X-ray diffraction. The solution behavior of AFETT and its interactions with two biologically relevant proteins (i.e. human serum albumin and haemoglobin) and with a synthetic dodecapeptide reproducing the C-terminal portion of thioredoxin reductase were comparatively analyzed through 31P NMR and ESI-MS. Remarkable binding properties toward these biomolecules were disclosed. Moreover, the cytotoxic effects produced by AFETT on two ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780 and A2780 R) and one colorectal cancer cell line (HCT116) were analyzed and found to be strong and nearly superimposable to those of auranofin. Interestingly, for both compounds, the ability to induce downregulation of vimentin expression in A2780 R cells was evidenced. Despite its close similarity to auranofin, AFETT is reported to exhibit some peculiar and distinctive features such as a lower lipophilicity, an increased water solubility and a faster reactivity towards the selected target biomolecules. These differences might confer to AFETT significant pharmaceutical and therapeutic advantages over auranofin itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Cirri
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Lara Massai
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
| | - Chiara Giacomelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Guerri
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
| | - Chiara Gabbiani
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Luigi Messori
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Pratesi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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Massai L, Cirri D, Marzo T, Messori L. Auranofin and its analogs as prospective agents for the treatment of colorectal cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2022; 5:1-14. [PMID: 35582525 PMCID: PMC8992591 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2021.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Today colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. This disease is poorly chemo-sensitive toward the existing medical treatments so that new and more effective therapeutic agents are urgently needed and intensely sought. Platinum drugs, oxaliplatin in particular, were reported to produce some significant benefit in CRC treatment, triggering the general interest of medicinal chemists and oncologists for metal-based compounds as candidate anti-CRC drugs. Within this frame, gold compounds and, specifically, the established antiarthritic drug auranofin with its analogs, form a novel group of promising anticancer agents. Owing to its innovative mechanism of action and its favorable pharmacological profile, auranofin together with its derivatives are proposed here as novel experimental agents for CRC treatment, capable of overcoming resistance to platinum drugs. Some encouraging results in this direction have already been obtained. A few recent studies demonstrate that the action of auranofin may be further potentiated through the preparation of suitable pharmaceutical formulations capable of protecting the gold pharmacophore from unselective reactivity or through the design of highly synergic drug combinations. The perspectives of the research in this field are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Massai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Damiano Cirri
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Tiziano Marzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
- CISUP - Centre for Instrumentation Sharing (Centro per l’Integrazione della Strumentazione Scientifica), University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
- University Consortium for Research in the Chemistry of Metal ions in Biological Systems (CIRCMSB), Bari 70126, Italy
| | - Luigi Messori
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
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Abdalbari FH, Telleria CM. The gold complex auranofin: new perspectives for cancer therapy. Discov Oncol 2021; 12:42. [PMID: 35201489 PMCID: PMC8777575 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-021-00439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced stages of cancer are highly associated with short overall survival in patients due to the lack of long-term treatment options following the standard form of care. New options for cancer therapy are needed to improve the survival of cancer patients without disease recurrence. Auranofin is a clinically approved agent against rheumatoid arthritis that is currently enrolled in clinical trials for potential repurposing against cancer. Auranofin mainly targets the anti-oxidative system catalyzed by thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which protects the cell from oxidative stress and death in the cytoplasm and the mitochondria. TrxR is over-expressed in many cancers as an adaptive mechanism for cancer cell proliferation, rendering it an attractive target for cancer therapy, and auranofin as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer. Inhibiting TrxR dysregulates the intracellular redox state causing increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and stimulates cellular demise. An alternate mechanism of action of auranofin is to mimic proteasomal inhibition by blocking the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is critically important in cancer cells to prevent cell death when compared to non-cancer cells, because of its role on cell cycle regulation, protein degradation, gene expression, and DNA repair. This article provides new perspectives on the potential mechanisms used by auranofin alone, in combination with diverse other compounds, or in combination with platinating agents and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors to combat cancer cells, while assessing the feasibility for its repurposing in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah H Abdalbari
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Carlos M Telleria
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Macii F, Biver T. Spectrofluorimetric analysis of the binding of a target molecule to serum albumin: tricky aspects and tips. J Inorg Biochem 2020; 216:111305. [PMID: 33261935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2020.111305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein binding heavily modulates drug activity. Therefore, the binding features need to be elucidated when chemistry researchers study new molecules (metal complexes) to be used as drugs. This paper concerns the experimental and data treatment aspects of the mechanistic analysis of the binding to a fluorescent protein (the golden standard serum albumin) by using direct fluorescence titrations. Fluorescence data are not rarely only qualitatively used, neglecting further treatments which could offer a precious detailed picture of the behavior of the drug. We aim to spread a mechanistic approach, discussing the critical aspects for correctly designing the experiments and treating the data. The researcher may confirm adduct formation and evaluate binding constants (Stern-Volmer KSV or other types of K). Also, we discuss here, with the help of literature examples, the correct use of temperature dependence of K to extract thermodynamic parameters, comment on enthalpy-entropy compensation, together with the use of synchronous spectra and exchange experiments to gain information on the binding type and site. We think that this tutorial/critical synopsis can be of help for the increasing community dealing with these experiments, which are valuable but often much more tricky than it might appear at first sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Macii
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tarita Biver
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Massai L, Zoppi C, Cirri D, Pratesi A, Messori L. Reactions of Medicinal Gold(III) Compounds With Proteins and Peptides Explored by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Complementary Biophysical Methods. Front Chem 2020; 8:581648. [PMID: 33195070 PMCID: PMC7609534 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.581648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) is a powerful investigative tool to analyze the reactions of metallodrugs with proteins and peptides and characterize the resulting adducts. Here, we have applied this type of approach to four experimental anticancer gold(III) compounds for which extensive biological and mechanistic data had previously been gathered, namely, Auoxo6, Au2phen, AuL12, and Aubipyc. These gold(III) compounds were reacted with two representative proteins, i.e., human serum albumin (HSA) and human carbonic anhydrase I (hCA I), and with the C-terminal dodecapeptide of thioredoxin reductase. ESI MS analysis allowed us to elucidate the nature of the resulting metal-protein adducts from which the main features of the occurring metallodrug-protein reactions can be inferred. In selected cases, MS data were integrated and supported by independent 1HNMR and UV-Vis absorption measurements to gain an overall description of the occurring processes. From data analysis, it emerges that most of the investigated gold(III) complexes, endowed with an appreciable oxidizing character, undergo quite facile reduction to gold(I); the resulting gold(I) species tightly associate with the above proteins/peptides with a remarkable selectivity for free cysteine residues. In contrast, in the case of the less-oxidizing Aubipyc complex, the gold(III) oxidation state is conserved, and a gold(III) fragment still containing the original ligand is found to be associated with the target proteins. It is notable that the C-terminal dodecapeptide of thioredoxin reductase containing the characteristic -Gly-Cys-Sec-Gly metal-binding motif is able in all cases to trigger gold(III)-to-gold(I) reduction. Our investigation allowed us to identify in detail the nature of the gold fragments that ultimately bind the protein targets and determine the exact binding stoichiometry; some insight on the reaction kinetics was also gained. Notably, a few clear correlations could be established between the structure of the metal complexes and the nature of the resulting protein adducts. The mechanistic implications of these findings are analyzed and thoroughly discussed. Overall, the present results set the stage to better understand the real target biomolecules of these gold compounds and elucidate at the atomic level their interaction modes with proteins and peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Massai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Carlotta Zoppi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Damiano Cirri
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pratesi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luigi Messori
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Tolbatov I, Cirri D, Marchetti L, Marrone A, Coletti C, Re N, La Mendola D, Messori L, Marzo T, Gabbiani C, Pratesi A. Mechanistic Insights Into the Anticancer Properties of the Auranofin Analog Au(PEt 3)I: A Theoretical and Experimental Study. Front Chem 2020; 8:812. [PMID: 33195032 PMCID: PMC7531625 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Au(PEt3)I (AF-I hereafter), the iodide analog of the FDA-approved drug auranofin (AF hereafter), is a promising anticancer agent that produces its pharmacological effects through interaction with non-genomic targets such as the thioredoxin reductase system. AF-I is endowed with a very favorable biochemical profile showing potent in vitro cytotoxic activity against several cancer types including ovarian and colorectal cancer. Remarkably, in a recent publication, some of us reported that AF-I induces an almost complete and rapid remission in an orthotopic in vivo mouse model of ovarian cancer. The cytotoxic potency does not bring about highly severe side effects, making AF-I very well-tolerated even for higher doses, even more so than the pharmacologically active ones. All these promising features led us to expand our studies on the mechanistic aspects underlying the antitumor activity of AF-I. We report here on an integrated experimental and theoretical study on the reactivity of AF-I, in comparison with auranofin, toward relevant aminoacidic residues or their molecular models. Results point out that the replacement of the thiosugar moiety with iodide significantly affects the overall reactivity toward the amino acid residues histidine, cysteine, methionine, and selenocysteine. Altogether, the obtained results contribute to shed light into the enhanced antitumoral activity of AF-I compared with AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iogann Tolbatov
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Damiano Cirri
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorella Marchetti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Cecilia Coletti
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Nazzareno Re
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Messori
- Laboratory of Metals in Medicine (MetMed), Department of Chemistry "U. Schiff", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Tiziano Marzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,CISUP-Centro per l'Integrazione della Strumentazione Scientifica dell'Università di Pisa, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Gabbiani
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pratesi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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