New alicyclic thiosemicarbazone chelated zinc(II) antitumor complexes: Interactions with DNA/protein, nuclease activity and inhibition of topoisomerase-I

Overview of the New Bioactive Heterocycles as Targeting Topoisomerase Inhibitors Useful Against Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer globally, with high mortality. Metastatic CRC is incurable in most cases, and multiple drug therapy can increase patients' life expectancy by 2 to 3 years. Efforts are being made to understand the relationship between topoisomerase enzymes and colorectal cancer. Some studies have shown that higher expression of these enzymes is correlated to a poor prognosis for this type of cancer. One of the primary drugs used in the treatment of CRC is Irinotecan, which can be used in monotherapy or, more commonly, in therapeutic schemes such as FOLFIRI (Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Irinotecan) and CAPIRI (Capecitabine and Irinotecan). Like Camptothecin, Irinotecan and other compounds have a mechanism of action based on the formation of a ternary complex with topoisomerase I and DNA providing damage to it, therefore leading to cell death. Thus, this review focused on the principal works published in the last ten years that demonstrate a correlation between the inhibition of different isoforms of topoisomerase and in vitro cytotoxic activity against CRC by natural products, semisynthetic and synthetic compounds of pyridine, quinoline, acridine, imidazoles, indoles, and metal complexes. The results revealed that natural compounds, semisynthetic and synthetic derivatives showed potential in vitro cytotoxicity against several colon cancer cell lines, and this activity was often accompanied by the ability to inhibit both isoforms of topoisomerase (I and II), highlighting that these enzymes can be promising targets for the development of new chemotherapy against CRC. Pyridine analogs were considered the most promising for this study, while the evaluation of the real potential of natural products was limited by the lack of information in their work. Moreover, the complexes, although promising, presented as the main limitation the lack of selectivity.

Coordination compounds of biogenic metals as cytotoxic agents in cancer therapy

The review summarizes the data on the structures and methods for the synthesis of compounds with anticancer activity based on biogenic metals, which can replace platinum drugs prevailing in cytotoxic therapy. The main focus is given to the comparison of the mechanisms of the cytotoxic action of these complexes, their efficacy and prospects of their use in clinical practice. This is the first systematic review of cytotoxic zinc, iron, cobalt and copper compounds. The structure – activity relationships and the mechanisms of antitumour action are formulated for each type of metal complexes.

The bibliography includes 181 references.

Evaluation of the Anticancer and DNA-Binding Characteristics of Dichloro(diimine)zinc(II) Complexes

Several metal diimine complexes have been reported to possess anticancer properties. To evaluate the anticancer properties of tetrahedral zinc(II) diimine complexes, six complexes were synthesized with the general formula M(N^N)Cl2 {where M = Zn, Pt and N^N = 2,2’-biquinoline (1), 2,2’-dipyridylketone (2) and 4-((pyridine-2-ylmethylene)amino)phenol (3)}. In general, the intrinsic DNA-binding constants for the different compounds exhibited values within close proximity; the changes in the viscosity of the CT-DNA upon binding to the compounds suggest intercalation-binding mode. Molecular docking study predicted that complexes containing the highly planar ligand 2,2’-biquinoline are capable to establish π–π interactions with nucleobases of the DNA; the other four complexes engaged in donor–acceptor interactions with DNA nucleobases. The six complexes and two reference drugs (cisplatin and sunitinib) were tested against two cancer cell lines (COLO 205 and RCC-PR) and one normal cell line (LLC-MK2), highlighting the better performance of the zinc(II) complexes compared to their platinum(II) analogues. Moreover, zinc(II) complexes have higher selectivity index values than the reference drugs, with promising anticancer properties.

Structural characterization of new zinc(ii) complexes with N2O2 chelating thiosemicarbazidato ligands; investigation of the relationship between their DNA interaction and in vitro antiproliferative activity towards human cancer cells

New candidates to become DNA-targeting antiproliferative agents: Zinc(ii) complexes bearing N₂O₂-thiosemicarbazidato ligands.

Bis(N'-{(E)-[(2E)-1,3-di-phenyl-prop-2-en-1-yl-idene]amino}-N-ethyl-carbamimido-thio-ato-κ2N',S)zinc(II): crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis

The title ZnII complex, [Zn(C18H18N3S)2], (I), features two independent but chemically equivalent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. In each, the thio-semicarbazonate monoanion coordinates the ZnII atom via the thiol-ate-S and imine-N atoms, with the resulting N2S2 donor set defining a distorted tetra-hedral geometry. The five-membered ZnSCN2 chelate rings adopt distinct conformations in each independent mol-ecule, i.e. one ring is almost planar while the other is twisted about the Zn-S bond. In the crystal, the two mol-ecules comprising the asymmetric unit are linked by amine-N-H⋯N(imine) and amine-N-H⋯S(thiol-ate) hydrogen bonds via an eight-membered heterosynthon, {⋯HNCN⋯HNCS}. The dimeric aggregates are further consolidated by benzene-C-H⋯S(thiol-ate) inter-actions and are linked into a zigzag supra-molecular chain along the c axis via amine-N-H⋯S(thiol-ate) hydrogen bonds. The chains are connected into a three-dimensional architecture via phenyl-C-H⋯π(phen-yl) and π-π inter-actions, the latter occurring between chelate and phenyl rings [inter-centroid separation = 3.6873 (11) Å]. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surfaces calculated for (I) emphasizes the different inter-actions formed by the independent mol-ecules in the crystal and the impact of the π-π inter-actions between chelate and phenyl rings.

The water soluble peripherally tetra-substituted zinc(ii), manganese(iii) and copper(ii) phthalocyanines as new potential anticancer agents

In this study, [2-(2-morpholin-4-ylethoxy)ethoxy] group substituted zinc(ii), manganese(iii) and copper(ii) phthalocyanines 2–4 and their water soluble derivatives 2a, 3a and 4a were synthesized and the interactions of compounds 2a, 3a and 4a with CT-DNA and supercoiled pBR322 plasmid DNA were investigated.