Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of the dirhenium complex Re2(i-C3H7COO)4Cl2 and its interactions with the DNA purine nucleobases

DNA-Targeted Complexes of Tc and Re for Biomedical Applications

Due to their favorable chemical features, Re and Tc complexes have been widely used for the development of new therapeutic agents and imaging probes to solve problems of biomedical relevance. This review provides an update of the most relevant research efforts towards the development of novel cancer theranostic agents using Re and Tc-based compounds interacting with specific DNA structures. This includes a variety of homometallic complexes, namely those containing M(CO)3 (M=Re, Tc) moieties, that exhibit different modes of interaction with DNA, such as covalent binding, intercalation, groove binding or G-quadruplex DNA binding. Additionally, heterometallic complexes, designed to potentiate synergistic effects of different metal centers to improve DNA-targeting, cytotoxicity and fluorescence properties, are also reviewed. Particular attention is also given to 99m Tc- and 188 Re-labeled oligonucleotides that have been widely explored to develop imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals through the in vivo hybridization with a specific complementary DNA or RNA target sequence to provide useful molecular tools in precision medicine for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Finally, the need for further improvement of DNA-targeted Re and Tc-based compounds as potential therapeutic and diagnostic agents is highlighted, and future directions are discussed.

Crystal structure of hexacarbonyl-(μ2-methanoato-k2 O:O′)-(μ2–bis(di-p-tolylphosphino)cyclohexylamine-κ2 P:P′)dirhenium(I), C42H45NO8P2Re2

C42H45NO8P2Re2, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 24.1612(7) Å, b = 13.0229(3) Å, c = 14.9180(4) Å, β = 121.383(3)°, V = 4007.2(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0235, wR ref(F 2) = 0.0596, T = 173(2) K.

Design of Rhenium Compounds in Targeted Anticancer Therapeutics

Background:

Many rhenium (Re) complexes with potential anticancer properties have been synthesized in the recent years with the aim to overcome the clinical limitations of platinum agents. Re(I) tricarbonyl complexes are the most common but Re compounds with higher oxidation states have also been investigated, as well as hetero-metallic complexes and Re-loaded self-assembling devices. Many of these compounds display promising cytotoxic and phototoxic properties against malignant cells but all Re compounds are still at the stage of preclinical studies.

Methods:

The present review focused on the rhenium based cancer drugs that were in preclinical and clinical trials were examined critically. The detailed targeted interactions and experimental evidences of Re compounds reported by the patentable and non-patentable research findings used to write this review.

Results:

In the present review, we described the most recent and promising rhenium compounds focusing on their potential mechanism of action including, phototoxicity, DNA binding, mitochondrial effects, oxidative stress regulation or enzyme inhibition. Many ligands have been described that modulating the lipophilicity, the luminescent properties, the cellular uptake, the biodistribution, and the cytotoxicity, the pharmacological and toxicological profile.

Conclusion:

Re-based anticancer drugs can also be used in targeted therapies by coupling to a variety of biologically relevant targeting molecules. On the other hand, combination with conventional cytotoxic molecules, such as doxorubicin, allowed to take into profit the targeting properties of Re for example toward mitochondria. Through the example of the diseleno-Re complex, we showed that the main target could be the oxidative status, with a down-stream regulation of signaling pathways, and further on selective cell death of cancer cells versus normal cells.

Crystal structure of bis-(ethyl-enedi-thio)-tetra-thia-fulvalenium μ2-acetato-bis-[tri-bromido-rhenate(III)] 1,1,2-tri-chloro-ethane hemisolvate

The asymmetric unit of the title salt, (C10H8S8)[Re2Br6(CH3COO)]·0.5C2H3Cl3, contains one bis-(ethyl-enedi-thio)-tetra-thia-fulvalene (ET) radical cation, one μ2-acetato-bis-[tri-bromido-rhenate(III)] anion and a 1,1,2-tri-chloro-ethane mol-ecule with half-occupancy disordered about a twofold rotation axis. The tetra-thia-fulvalene fragment adopts an almost planar configuration typical of the ET radical cation. The C atoms of both ethyl-enedi-thio fragments in the cation are disordered over two orientations with occupancy factors 0.65:0.35 and 0.77:0.23. In the anion, six Br atoms and a μ2-acetate ligand form a strongly distorted cubic O2Br6 coordination polyhedron around the Re2 dinuclear centre. In the crystal, centrosymmetrically related ET cations and Re2O2Br6 anions are linked into dimers by π-π stacking inter-actions [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.826 (8) Å] and by pairs of additional Re⋯Br contacts [3.131 (3) Å], respectively. The dimers are further packed into a three-dimensional network by non-directional inter-ionic electrostatic forces and by C-H⋯Br and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds. The disordered 1,1,2-tri-chloro-ethane mol-ecules occupy solvent-accessible channels along the b axis.