Catalysis-free synthesis of thiazolidine-thiourea ligands for metal coordination (Au and Ag) and preliminary cytotoxic studies

The reaction of propargylamines with isothiocyanates results in the selective formation of iminothiazolidines, aminothiazolines or mixed thiazolidine-thiourea compounds under mild conditions. It has been observed that secondary propargylamines lead to the selective formation of cyclic 2-amino-2-thiazoline derivatives, while primary propargylamines form iminothiazoline species. In addition, these cyclic thiazoline derivatives can further react with an excess of isothiocyanate to give rise to thiazolidine-thiourea compounds. These species can also be achieved by reaction of propargylamines with isothiocynates in a molar ratio of 1 : 2. Coordination studies of these heterocyclic species towards silver and gold with different stoichiometries have been carried out and complexes of the type [ML(PPh₃)]OTf, [ML₂]OTf (M = Ag, Au) or [Au(C₆F₅)L] have been synthesised. Preliminary studies of the cytotoxic activity in lung cancer cells have also been performed in both ligands and complexes, showing that although the ligands do not exhibit anticancer activity, their coordination to metals, especially silver, greatly enhances the cytotoxic activity.

Screening the biological properties of transition metal carbamates reveals gold(I) and silver(I) complexes as potent cytotoxic and antimicrobial agents

We report a screening study aimed to assess for the first time the air- and water-stability and the biological potential of simple metal-carbamates. These molecular metallic species are based on elements belonging to the groups 4-5, 7-9 and 11, and tin, and are easily available from inexpensive reagents. Complexes [Ag(O₂CNEt₂)] (13-Ag) and [Au(O₂CNMe₂)(PPh₃)] (14-Au) resulted substantially stable in aqueous media and exhibited a potent in vitro cytotoxicity. Especially 13-Ag revealed a significant selectivity against the A549 lung adenocarcinoma and the A2780 ovarian cancer cell lines with respect to the noncancerous HEK293 cell line. Generation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and mitochondrial membrane depolarization were recognized for 13-Ag and 14-Au; notwithstanding, the cell death mechanism is different in the two cases: apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase for 13-Ag; necroptosis and cell cycle arrest in S phase for 14-Au. Both 13-Ag and 14-Au are endowed with antibacterial activity, which is relatively stronger for 13-Ag towards Gram negative and for 14-Au towards Gram positive strains, respectively.

Synthesis of New Thiourea-Metal Complexes with Promising Anticancer Properties

In this work, two thiourea ligands bearing a phosphine group in one arm and in the other a phenyl group (T2) or 3,5-di-CF₃ substituted phenyl ring (T1) have been prepared and their coordination to Au and Ag has been studied. A different behavior is observed for gold complexes, a linear geometry with coordination only to the phosphorus atom or an equilibrium between the linear and three-coordinated species is present, whereas for silver complexes the coordination of the ligand as P^S chelate is found. The thiourea ligands and their complexes were explored against different cancer cell lines (HeLa, A549, and Jurkat). The thiourea ligands do not exhibit relevant cytotoxicity in the tested cell lines and the coordination of a metal triggers excellent cytotoxic values in all cases. In general, data showed that gold complexes are more cytotoxic than the silver compounds with T1, in particular the complexes [AuT1(PPh₃)]OTf, the bis(thiourea) [Au(T1)₂]OTf and the gold-thiolate species [Au(SR)T1]. In contrast, with T2 better results are obtained with silver species [AgT1(PPh₃)]OTf and the [Ag(T1)₂]OTf. The role played by the ancillary ligand bound to the metal is important since it strongly affects the cytotoxic activity, being the bis(thiourea) complex the most active species. This study demonstrates that metal complexes derived from thiourea can be biologically active and these compounds are promising leads for further development as potential anticancer agents.

Luminescent Bimetallic IrIII /AuI Peptide Bioconjugates as Potential Theranostic Agents

Diverse iridium peptide bioconjugates and the corresponding iridium/gold bimetallic complexes have been synthesized starting from a cyclometallated carboxylic acid substituted IrIII complex [Ir(ppy)2 (Phen-5-COO)] by solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The selected peptide sequences were an enkephalin derivative Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu together with the propargyl-substituted species Tyr-Gly-Pgl-Phe-Leu to allow gold coordination (Pgl: propyrgyl-glycine, HC≡C-Gly), and a specific short peptide, Ala-Cys-Ala-Phen, containing a cysteine residue. Introduction of the gold center has been achieved via a click reaction with the alkynyl group leading to an organometallic Au-C(triazole) species, or by direct coordination to the sulfur atom of the cysteine. The photophysical properties of these species revealed predominantly an emission originating from the Ir complex, using mixed metal-to-ligand and ligand-to-ligand charge transfer excited states of triplet multiplicity. The formation of the peptide bioconjugates caused a systematic redshift of the emission profiles. Lysosomal accumulation was observed for all the complexes, in contrast to the expected mitochondrial accumulation triggered by the gold complexes. Only the cysteine-containing Ir/Au bioconjugate displayed cytotoxic activity. The absence of activity may be related to the lack of endosomal/lysosomal escape for the cationic peptide conjugates. Interestingly, the different coordination sphere of the gold atom may play a crucial role, as the Au-S(cysteine) bond may be more readily cleaved in a biological environment than the Au-C(triazole) bond, and thus the Au fragment could be released from or trapped in the lysosomes, respectively. This work represents a starting point in the development of bimetallic peptide bioconjugates as theranostics and in the knowledge of factors that contribute to anti-proliferative activity.

Exploring the In Vivo and In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Rhenium Isonitrile Complexes

The established platinum-based drugs form covalent DNA adducts to elicit their cytotoxic response. Although they are widely employed, these agents cause toxic side-effects and are susceptible to cancer-resistance mechanisms. To overcome these limitations, alternative metal complexes containing the rhenium(I) tricarbonyl core have been explored as anticancer agents. Based on a previous study ( Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 9206), a series of highly active tricarbonyl rhenium isonitrile polypyridyl (TRIP) complexes of the general formula fac-[Re(CO)3(NN)(ICN)]+, where NN is a chelating diimine and ICN is an isonitrile ligand, that induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress via activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway are investigated. A total of 11 of these TRIP complexes were synthesized, modifying both the equatorial polypyridyl and axial isonitrile ligands. Complexes with more electron-donating equatorial ligands were found to have greater anticancer activity, whereas the axial ICN ligands had a smaller effect on their overall potency. All 11 TRIP derivatives trigger a similar phenotype that is characterized by their abilities to induce ER stress and activate the UPR. Lastly, we explored the in vivo efficacy of one of the most potent complexes, fac-[Re(CO)3(dmphen)(ptolICN)]+ (TRIP-1a), where dmphen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline and ptolICN = para-tolyl isonitrile, in mice. The 99mTc congener of TRIP-1a was synthesized, and its biodistribution in BALB/c mice was investigated in comparison to the parent Re complex. The results illustrate that both complexes have similar biodistribution patterns, suggesting that 99mTc analogues of these TRIP complexes can be used as diagnostic partner agents. The in vivo antitumor activity of TRIP-1a was then investigated in NSG mice bearing A2780 ovarian cancer xenografts. When administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg twice weekly, this complex was able to inhibit tumor growth and prolong mouse survival by 150% compared to the vehicle control cohort.

A DFT study of isolated histidine interactions with metal ions (Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+) in a six-coordinated octahedral complex

Understanding the role that metal ions play in biological and material processes is critical to addressing a number of diseases and problems facing society today. There have been a number of studies that have begun to approach this concern from a myriad of different perspectives. However, there is still a considerable lack of understanding concerning the mechanisms and structures of metal-related problems, specifically biological and medical-related issues. Understanding the mechanism of ingestion and uptake of metals into the human body is critical to addressing many diseases such as Alzheimer's and certain types of cancers. Using computational techniques, this work adds to the overall understanding of metal interactions with proteins by focusing on metal ion interactions with the amino acid, histidine, one of the most common sites of metal attachment. In this work, the geometries of single and dual histidines attached to Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions at B3LYP/6-311G(d) are presented. The results show stable octahedral complexes associated with each of the metal ions. Free energy calculations suggest that all three complexes are spontaneous in the formation of the dual histidine-metal complexes. Nickel and copper are spontaneous in the formation of the single histidine complex, although the copper complex undergoes slight geometric changes. Zinc is found to be nonspontaneous in forming the single histidine complex. Finally, the reduction potential of the single histidine-metal complex is presented. All of the complexes show positive reduction potentials. However, the nickel and copper complexes undergo geometrical changes to adopt a square planar conformation. Graphical abstract The impact of metal ions in biological systems is of great importance to understanding a diverse number of diseases. By understanding the fundamentals of select ions complexed with histidines, greater understanding of the mechanisms of actions these ions play in health may be elucidated. This work presents initial structures and thermodynamics of histidine complexes with nickel, copper, and zinc metal ions.

Amino Acids and Peptides as Versatile Ligands in the Synthesis of Antiproliferative Gold Complexes

Gold complexes have been traditionally employed in medicine, and currently, some gold(I) complexes, such as auranofin, are clinically used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In the last decades, both gold(I) and gold(III) complexes with different types of ligands have gained considerable attention as potential antitumor agents, showing superior activity both in vitro and in vivo to some of the clinically used agents. The present review article summarizes the results achieved in the field of synthesis and evaluation of gold complexes with amino acids and peptides moieties for their cytotoxicity. The first section provides an overview of the gold(I) complexes with amino acids and peptides, which have shown antiproliferative activity, while the second part is focused on the activity of gold(III) complexes with these ligands. A systematic summary of the results achieved in the field of gold(I/III) complexes with amino acids and peptides could contribute to the future development of metal complexes with these biocompatible ligands as promising antitumor agents.

Dinuclear gold(i) complexes: from bonding to applications

The last two decades have seen a veritable explosion in the use of gold(i) complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and phosphine (PR₃) ligands.

Mitochondria-Targeting Anticancer Metal Complexes

Background:

Since the serendipitous discovery of the antitumor activity of cisplatin there has been a continuous surge in studies aimed at the development of new cytotoxic metal complexes. While the majority of these complexes have been designed to interact with nuclear DNA, other targets for anticancer metallodrugs attract increasing interest. In cancer cells the mitochondrial metabolism is deregulated. Impaired apoptosis, insensitivity to antigrowth signals and unlimited proliferation have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. It is therefore not surprising that mitochondria have emerged as a major target for cancer therapy. Mitochondria-targeting agents are able to bypass resistance mechanisms and to (re-) activate cell-death programs.

Methods:

Web-based literature searching tools such as SciFinder were used to search for reports on cytotoxic metal complexes that are taken up by the mitochondria and interact with mitochondrial DNA or mitochondrial proteins, disrupt the mitochondrial membrane potential, facilitate mitochondrial membrane permeabilization or activate mitochondria-dependent celldeath signaling by unbalancing the cellular redox state. Included in the search were publications investigating strategies to selectively accumulate metallodrugs in the mitochondria.

Results:

This review includes 241 references on antimitochondrial metal complexes, the use of mitochondria-targeting carrier ligands and the formation of lipophilic cationic complexes.

Conclusion:

Recent developments in the design, cytotoxic potency, and mechanistic understanding of antimitochondrial metal complexes, in particular of cyclometalated Au, Ru, Ir and Pt complexes, Ru polypyridine complexes and Au-N-heterocyclic carbene and phosphine complexes are summarized and discussed.

Cytotoxic Gold(I) Complexes with Amidophosphine Ligands Containing Thiophene Moieties

A new phosphine ligand bearing a thiophene moiety, C4H3SNHCOCH2CH2PPh2 (L), has been prepared by reaction of the aminophosphine Ph2PCH2CH2NH2 with thiophenecarbonylchloride in the presence of triethylamine. The coordination behavior towards gold(I), gold(III) and silver(I) species has been studied and several metal compounds of different stoichiometry have been achieved, such as [AuL2]OTf, [AuXL] (X = Cl, C6F5), [Au(C6F5)3L], [AgL2]OTf or [Ag(OTf)L]. Additionally, the reactivity of the chloride gold(I) species with biologically relevant thiolates was explored, thus obtaining the neutral thiolate compounds [AuL(SR)] (SR = 2-thiocitosine, 2-thiolpyridine, 2-thiouracil, 2-thionicotinic acid, 2,3,4,6-tetra-6-acetyl-1-thiol-β-d-glucopyranosato or thiopurine). The antitumor activity of the compounds was measured by the MTT method in several cancer cells and the complexes exhibit excellent cytotoxic activity.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of thiolate gold(i) complexes as thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and glutathione reductase (GR) inhibitors

Au(i) complexes with PPh₂py and thiolate ligands are prepared. The complexes are shown considerable cytotoxic activities and those efficiently inhibit the TrxRs and GR.

Bioactive and luminescent indole and isatin based gold(i) derivatives

Combination of bioactive indole and isatin derivatives with Au(i) affords highly cytotoxic metallic species even for cisplatin resistant leukemia cells (Jurkat-shBak).

Anticancer properties of gold complexes with biologically relevant ligands

The present review highlights our findings in the field of antitumor gold complexes bearing biologically relevant molecules, such as DNA-bases, amino acids or peptide derivatives. The results show that very active complexes are achieved with this sort of ligands in several cancer cells. In these compounds the gold center is bonded to these biological molecules mainly through a sulfur atom belonging to a cysteine moiety or to a thionicotinic moiety as result of the functionalization of the biological compounds, and additionally phosphines or N-heterocyclic carbenes are present as ancillary ligands. These robust compounds are stable in the biological media and can be transported to their targets without previous deactivation. The presence of these scaffolds represents a good approach to obtain complexes with improved biologically activity, better transport and biodistribution to cancer cells. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) has been shown as the main target for these complexes and in some cases, DNA interactions has been also observed.

Efficient Gold(I) Acyclic Diaminocarbenes for the Synthesis of Propargylamines and Indolizines

Mononuclear gold(I) acyclic diaminocarbenes (ADCs) were prepared by the reaction of 1,2-cyclohexanediamine with the corresponding isocyanide complexes [AuCl(CNR)] (R = Cy, t Bu). The three-component coupling of aldehydes, amines, and alkynes was investigated by using these gold(I) ADC complexes. The new gold(I) metal complexes are highly efficient catalysts for the synthesis of propargylamines and indolizines in the absence of solvent and in mild conditions. This method affords the corresponding final products with excellent yields in short reaction times. Additionally, chiral gold(I) complexes with ADCs have been prepared and tried in the enantioselective synthesis of propargylamines.

Highly active group 11 metal complexes with α-hydrazidophosphonate ligands

Unprecedented α-hydrazidophosphonate group 11 metal complexes have been prepared, with various coordination modes of ligands to metal atoms. They present an excellent cytotoxic activity in HeLa (cervical carcinoma) and A549 (lung carcinoma) cell lines, with IC₅₀values among the lowest found in silver or copper complexes.

A survey of the mechanisms of action of anticancer transition metal complexes

Metal complexes have been the subject of numerous investigations in oncology but, despite the plethora of newly synthesized compounds, their precise mechanisms of action remain generally unknown or, for the best, incompletely determined. The continuous development of efficient and sensitive techniques in analytical chemistry and molecular biology gives scientists new tools to gather information on how metal complexes can be effective toward cancer. This review focuses on recent findings about the anticancer mechanism of action of metal complexes and how the ligands can be used to tune their pharmacological and physicochemical properties.

Bioactive gold(i) complexes with 4-mercaptoproline derivatives

Unprecedented gold(i) bioconjugates bearing non-proteinogenic amino acid 4-mercaptoproline species as bioorganic ligands have been prepared. The complexes displayed excellent cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ values in the low μM range and even in the nM range.

Group 11 complexes with amino acid derivatives: Synthesis and antitumoral studies

Gold(I), gold(III), silver(I) and copper(I) complexes with modified amino acid esters and phosphine ligands have been prepared in order to test their cytotoxic activity. Two different phosphine fragments, PPh3 and PPh2py (py=pyridine), have been used. The amino acid esters have been modified by introducing an aromatic amine as pyridine that coordinates metal fragments through the nitrogen atom, giving complexes of the type [M(L)(PR3)](+) or [AuCl3(L)] (L=l-valine-N-(4-pyridylcarbonyl) methyl ester (L1), l-alanine-N-(4-pyridylcarbonyl) methyl ester (L2), l-phenylalanine-N-(4-pyridylcarbonyl) methyl-ester) (L3); M=Au(I), Ag(I), Cu(I), PR3=PPh3, PPh2py). The in vitro cytotoxic activity of metal complexes was tested against four tumor human cell lines and one tumor mouse cell line. A metabolic activity test (3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, MTT) was used and IC50 values were compared with those obtained for cisplatin. Several complexes displayed significant cytotoxic activities. In order to determine whether antiproliferation and cell death are associated with apoptosis, NIH-3T3 cells were exposed to five selected complexes (Annexin V+ FITC, PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry. These experiments showed that the mechanism by which the complexes inhibit cell proliferation inducing cell death in NIH-3T3 cells is mainly apoptotic.