1
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Duan D, Guo X, Tian J, Li M, Jin X, Wang Z, Wang L, Yan Y, Xiao J, Song P, Wang X. Targeting thioredoxin reductase by eupalinilide B promotes apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 399:111137. [PMID: 38977166 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.111137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is correlated with tumor occurrence and progression, suggesting that TrxR inhibitors can be used as antitumor agents. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer efficacy of eupalinilides B on colorectal cancer cells. Eupalinilides B primarily targeted the conserved selenocysteine 498 residues in TrxR. Besides, it inhibited the enzyme activity in an irreversible manner. After eupalinilides B was used to pharmacologically inhibit TrxR, reactive oxygen species accumulated, and the intracellular redox balance was broken, finally causing oxidative stress-induced tumor cell apoptosis. Significantly, eupalinilides B treatment inhibited in vivo tumor growth. Targeting TrxR by eupalinilides B reveals the new mechanism underlying eupalinilides B and provides insight in developing eupalinilides B as the candidate antitumor chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongzhu Duan
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Xiangyu Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Jingjing Tian
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Mi Li
- School of Pharmacy and Gansu University Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine & Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Major Diseases, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaojie Jin
- School of Pharmacy and Gansu University Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine & Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Major Diseases, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zihua Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
| | - Le Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Yunyun Yan
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Jian Xiao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China.
| | - Peng Song
- Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Chinese Medicine and Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment for Chronic Diseases by TCM, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China.
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2
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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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3
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Büssing R, Bublitz A, Karge B, Brönstrup M, Strowig T, Ott I. An organometallic hybrid antibiotic of metronidazole with a Gold(I) N-Heterocyclic Carbene overcomes metronidazole resistance in Clostridioides difficile. J Biol Inorg Chem 2024:10.1007/s00775-024-02064-y. [PMID: 38926159 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-024-02064-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been emerging as a major global health threat and calls for the development of novel drug candidates. Metal complexes have been demonstrating high efficiency as antibacterial agents that differ substantially from the established types of antibiotics in their chemical structures and their mechanism of action. One strategy to exploit this potential is the design of metal-based hybrid organometallics that consist of an established antibiotic and a metal-based warhead that contributes an additional mechanism of action different from that of the parent antibiotic. In this communication, we describe the organometallic hybrid antibiotic 2c, in which the drug metronidazole is connected to a gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene warhead that inhibits bacterial thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). Metronidazole can be used for the treatment with the obligatory anaerobic pathogen Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), however, resistance to the drug hampers its clinical success. The gold organometallic conjugate 2c was an efficient inhibitor of TrxR and it was inactive or showed only minor effects against eucaryotic cells and bacteria grown under aerobic conditions. In contrast, a strong antibacterial effect was observed against both metronidazole-sensitive and -resistant strains of C. difficile. This report presents a proof-of-concept that the design of metal-based hybrid antibiotics can be a viable approach to efficiently tackle AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Büssing
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstr. 55, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Arne Bublitz
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Bianka Karge
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mark Brönstrup
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Till Strowig
- Department of Microbial Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ingo Ott
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstr. 55, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
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4
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Benin A, Kollar JI, Riesebeck T, Wurl F, Graiff C, Strassner T, Tubaro C. Synthesis and characterization of Pt(II) and Au(I) complexes with N-oxy-heterocyclic carbene ligands (NOHCs). Dalton Trans 2024; 53:9323-9329. [PMID: 38747257 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00996g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Two N-alkyloxy-N'-phenylimidazolium proligands and the corresponding platinum(II) cyclometalated N-alkyloxyimidazol-2-ylidene complexes with β-diketonate auxiliary ligands, [(CNOHC^C*)Pt(L∩L)] (L∩L = acetyacetonate (acac) or 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-propane-1,3-dionato (mesacac)) were synthesized and fully characterized. In addition, a Au(I) monocarbene complex was synthesized, isolated and characterized. Solid-state structures of two cyclometalated platinum(II) NOHC complexes and the Au(I) NOHC complex were obtained providing structural proof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Benin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy.
- Physikalische Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Joshua Immanuel Kollar
- Physikalische Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Tim Riesebeck
- Physikalische Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Felix Wurl
- Physikalische Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Claudia Graiff
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Thomas Strassner
- Physikalische Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Cristina Tubaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy.
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5
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Ma X, Zhao Y, Caligiuri I, Rizzolio F, Bracho Pozsoni N, Van Hecke K, Scattolin T, Nolan SP. Dinuclear NHC-gold(I)-thiolato and -alkynyl complexes: synthesis, anticancer activity, and catalytic activity in lactonization reactions. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:7939-7945. [PMID: 38646683 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00890a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
A series of novel dinuclear NHC-gold-thiolato and -alkynyl complexes bearing aromatic linkers were successfully synthesized by an efficient and simple synthetic route. The catalytic activity of these complexes was tested in a lactonization reaction. The reaction proceeds in high efficiency, in short reaction time and under mild conditions, and is complementary to existing methods. Furthermore, the digold(I)-thiolato derivatives exhibit remarkable cytotoxicity towards several cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Sustainable Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
- Chemical Science and Technology Research Institute, Sinochem Group, 20 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Sustainable Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Isabella Caligiuri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (C.R.O.) IRCCS, via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (C.R.O.) IRCCS, via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico Via Torino 155, 30174 Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Nestor Bracho Pozsoni
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Sustainable Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Kristof Van Hecke
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Sustainable Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Scattolin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Steven P Nolan
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Sustainable Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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6
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Zhao Q, Han B, Peng C, Zhang N, Huang W, He G, Li JL. A promising future of metal-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes in medicinal chemistry: The emerging bioorganometallic antitumor agents. Med Res Rev 2024. [PMID: 38591229 DOI: 10.1002/med.22039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Metal complexes based on N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have emerged as promising broad-spectrum antitumor agents in bioorganometallic medicinal chemistry. In recent decades, studies on cytotoxic metal-NHC complexes have yielded numerous compounds exhibiting superior cytotoxicity compared to cisplatin. Although the molecular mechanisms of these anticancer complexes are not fully understood, some potential targets and modes of action have been identified. However, a comprehensive review of their biological mechanisms is currently absent. In general, apoptosis caused by metal-NHCs is common in tumor cells. They can cause a series of changes after entering cells, such as mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) variation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cytochrome c (cyt c) release, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, lysosome damage, and caspase activation, ultimately leading to apoptosis. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the influence of metal-NHCs on cancer cell apoptosis is crucial. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advances in metal-NHC complexes that trigger apoptotic cell death via different apoptosis-related targets or signaling pathways, including B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2 family), p53, cyt c, ER stress, lysosome damage, thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) inhibition, and so forth. We also discuss the challenges, limitations, and future directions of metal-NHC complexes to elucidate their emerging application in medicinal chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Department of Dermatology & Venerolog, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Gu He
- Department of Dermatology & Venerolog, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun-Long Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- Anti-Infective Agent Creation Engineering Research Centre of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
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7
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Campagnolo F, Bevilacqua M, Baron M, Tubaro C, Biffis A, Zuccaccia D. Insights on the Anion Effect in N-heterocyclic Carbene Based Dinuclear Gold(I) Catalysts. Chempluschem 2024; 89:e202300421. [PMID: 37902252 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Dinuclear bisNHC (bis(N-heterocyclic carbene)) gold(I) complexes 3 a and 4 a of general formula [Au2 Br2 (bisNHC)] were tested as catalysts in the cycloisomerization of N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)benzamide and in the hydromethoxylation of 3-hexyne in the presence of silver(I) activators bearing different counteranions. The catalytic performance of mononuclear NHC complexes (1 a, 2 a) in the same reactions was also studied. The results highlighted the fundamental role of both NHC ligand and counterion in the catalytic cycles and activation process: dinuclear catalysts exhibit higher initial activity even under milder conditions but suffer in terms of stability with respect to mono NHCs. Furthermore, a new dinuclear bisNHC gold(I) complex 4 b of general formula [Au2 (OTs)2 (bisNHC)] (OTs=p-toluenesulfonate) was successfully synthesized and characterized by means of NMR and ESI-MS analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Campagnolo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università di Udine, Via Cotonificio 108, 33100, Udine, Italy)
| | - Matteo Bevilacqua
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Baron
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Cristina Tubaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Biffis
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Daniele Zuccaccia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università di Udine, Via Cotonificio 108, 33100, Udine, Italy)
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8
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Tolbatov I, Umari P, Marrone A. Mechanism of Action of Antitumor Au(I) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: A Computational Insight on the Targeting of TrxR Selenocysteine. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2625. [PMID: 38473872 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The targeting of human thioredoxin reductase is widely recognized to be crucially involved in the anticancer properties of several metallodrugs, including Au(I) complexes. In this study, the mechanism of reaction between a set of five N-heterocyclic carbene Au(I) complexes and models of the active Sec residue in human thioredoxin reductase was investigated by means of density functional theory approaches. The study was specifically addressed to the kinetics and thermodynamics of the tiled process by aiming at elucidating and explaining the differential inhibitory potency in this set of analogous Au(I) bis-carbene complexes. While the calculated free energy profile showed a substantially similar reactivity, we found that the binding of these Au(I) bis-carbene at the active CysSec dyad in the TrxR enzyme could be subjected to steric and orientational restraints, underlining both the approach of the bis-carbene scaffold and the attack of the selenol group at the metal center. A new and detailed mechanistic insight to the anticancer activity of these Au(I) organometallic complexes was thus provided by consolidating the TrxR targeting paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iogann Tolbatov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Umari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
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9
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Casagrande N, Borghese C, Corona G, Aldinucci D, Altaf M, Sulaiman AAA, Isab AA, Ahmad S, Peedikakkal AMP. Dinuclear gold(I) complexes based on carbene and diphosphane ligands: bis[2-(dicyclohexylphosphano)ethyl]amine complex inhibits the proteasome activity, decreases stem cell markers and spheroid viability in lung cancer cells. J Biol Inorg Chem 2023; 28:751-766. [PMID: 37955736 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-023-02025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Three new dinuclear gold(I) complexes (1-3) containing a carbene (1,3-Bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr)) and diphosphane ligands [bis(1,2-diphenylphosphano)ethane (Dppe), bis(1,3-diphenylphosphano)propane (Dppp) and bis[2-(dicyclohexylphosphano)ethyl]amine (DCyPA)], were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and, ESI-MS, mid FT-IR and NMR spectroscopic methods. The structures of complexes 2 and 3 were determined by X-ray crystallography, which revealed that the complexes are dinuclear having gold(I) ions linearly coordinated. The anticancer activities of the complexes (1-3) were evaluated in lung (A549), breast (MC-F7), prostate (PC-3), osteosarcoma (MG-63) and ovarian (A2780 and A2780cis) cancer models. Growth inhibition by the new complexes was higher than cisplatin in all cell lines tested. The mechanism of action of complex 3 was investigated in A549 cells using 2-dimensional (2D) models and 3D-multicellular tumor spheroids. Treatment of A549 cells with complex 3 caused: the induction of apoptosis and the generation of reactive oxygen species; the cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase; the inhibition of both the proteasome and the NF-kB activity; the down-regulation of lung cancer stem cell markers (NOTCH1, CD133, ALDH1 and CD44). Complex 3 was more active than cisplatin also in 3D models of A549 lung cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naike Casagrande
- Molecular Oncology, Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico Di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Cinzia Borghese
- Molecular Oncology, Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico Di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Corona
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers Unit, Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico Di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Donatella Aldinucci
- Molecular Oncology, Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico Di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081, Aviano, Italy.
| | - Muhammad Altaf
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Adam A A Sulaiman
- Core Research Facilities (CRF), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
- Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Anvarhusein A Isab
- Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Advanced Materials, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Saeed Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences and Humanities, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, 11942, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Malik P Peedikakkal
- Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Hydrogen and Energy Storage, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
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10
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Müller VVL, Simpson PV, Peng K, Basu U, Moreth D, Nagel C, Türck S, Oehninger L, Ott I, Schatzschneider U. Taming the Biological Activity of Pd(II) and Pt(II) Complexes with Triazolato "Protective" Groups: 1H, 77Se Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and X-ray Crystallographic Model Studies with Selenocysteine to Elucidate Differential Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:16203-16214. [PMID: 37713601 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
The biological activity of Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes toward three different cancer cell lines as well as inhibition of selenoenzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) was modulated in an unexpected way by the introduction of triazolate as a "protective group" to the inner metal coordination sphere using the iClick reaction of [M(N3)(terpy)]PF6 [M = Pd(II) or Pt(II) and terpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine] with an electron-poor alkyne. In a cell proliferation assay using A549, HT-29, and MDA-MB-231 human cancer cell lines, the palladium compound was significantly more potent than the isostructural platinum analogue and exhibited submicromolar activity on the most responsive cell line. This difference was also reflected in the inhibitory efficiency toward TrxR with IC50 values of 0.1 versus 5.4 μM for the Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes, respectively. UV/Vis kinetic studies revealed that the Pt compound binds to selenocysteine faster than to cysteine [k = (22.9 ± 0.2)·10-3 vs (7.1 ± 0.2)·10-3 s-1]. Selective triazolato ligand exchange of the title compounds with cysteine (Hcys) and selenocysteine (Hsec)─but not histidine (His) and 9-ethylguanine (9EtG)─was confirmed by 1H, 77Se, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy. Crystal structures of three of the four ligand exchange products were obtained, including [Pt(sec)(terpy)]PF6 as the first metal complex of selenocysteine to be structurally characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria V L Müller
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Peter V Simpson
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kun Peng
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Uttara Basu
- Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstr. 55, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dominik Moreth
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Nagel
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Türck
- Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstr. 55, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Luciano Oehninger
- Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstr. 55, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ingo Ott
- Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstr. 55, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schatzschneider
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
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11
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Salmain M, Gaschard M, Baroud M, Lepeltier E, Jaouen G, Passirani C, Vessières A. Thioredoxin Reductase and Organometallic Complexes: A Pivotal System to Tackle Multidrug Resistant Tumors? Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4448. [PMID: 37760418 PMCID: PMC10526406 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) are a family of diseases with poor prognosis despite access to increasingly sophisticated treatments. Several mechanisms explain these resistances involving both tumor cells and their microenvironment. It is now recognized that a multi-targeting approach offers a promising strategy to treat these MDR tumors. Inhibition of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a key enzyme in maintaining redox balance in cells, is a well-identified target for this approach. Auranofin was the first inorganic gold complex to be described as a powerful inhibitor of TrxR. In this review, we will first recall the main results obtained with this metallodrug. Then, we will focus on organometallic complexes reported as TrxR inhibitors. These include gold(I), gold(III) complexes and metallocifens, i.e., organometallic complexes of Fe and Os derived from tamoxifen. In these families of complexes, similarities and differences in the molecular mechanisms of TrxR inhibition will be highlighted. Finally, the possible relationship between TrxR inhibition and cytotoxicity will be discussed and put into perspective with their mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle Salmain
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France; (M.S.); (M.G.); (G.J.); (A.V.)
| | - Marie Gaschard
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France; (M.S.); (M.G.); (G.J.); (A.V.)
| | - Milad Baroud
- Micro & Nanomedecines Translationnelles (MINT), University of Angers, Inserm, The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), SFR ICAT, F-49000 Angers, France; (M.B.); (E.L.)
| | - Elise Lepeltier
- Micro & Nanomedecines Translationnelles (MINT), University of Angers, Inserm, The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), SFR ICAT, F-49000 Angers, France; (M.B.); (E.L.)
| | - Gérard Jaouen
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France; (M.S.); (M.G.); (G.J.); (A.V.)
| | - Catherine Passirani
- Micro & Nanomedecines Translationnelles (MINT), University of Angers, Inserm, The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), SFR ICAT, F-49000 Angers, France; (M.B.); (E.L.)
| | - Anne Vessières
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire (IPCM), 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France; (M.S.); (M.G.); (G.J.); (A.V.)
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12
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Schleser SW, Ghosh H, Hörner G, Seib J, Bhattacharyya S, Weber B, Schobert R, Dandawate P, Biersack B. New 4,5-Diarylimidazol-2-ylidene-iodidogold(I) Complexes with High Activity against Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5738. [PMID: 36982817 PMCID: PMC10052191 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Inspired by the vascular-disrupting agent combretastatin A-4 and recently published anticancer active N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of Au(I), a series of new iodidogold(I)-NHC complexes was synthesized and characterized. The iodidogold(I) complexes were synthesized by a route involving van Leusen imidazole formation and N-alkylation, followed by complexation with Ag2O, transmetalation with chloro(dimethylsulfide)gold(I) [Au(DMS)Cl], and anion exchange with KI. The target complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The structure of 6c was validated via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A preliminary anticancer screening of the complexes using two esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines showed promising nanomolar activities for certain iodidogold(I) complexes accompanied with apoptosis induction, as well as c-Myc and cyclin D1 suppression in esophageal adenocarcinoma cells treated with the most promising derivative 6b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian W. Schleser
- Organic Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Hindole Ghosh
- Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Gerald Hörner
- Inorganic Chemistry IV, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jonathan Seib
- Organic Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sangita Bhattacharyya
- Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Birgit Weber
- Inorganic Chemistry IV, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Rainer Schobert
- Organic Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Prasad Dandawate
- Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Bernhard Biersack
- Organic Chemistry 1, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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13
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New Insights into the Behavior of NHC-Gold Complexes in Cancer Cells. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020466. [PMID: 36839788 PMCID: PMC9963827 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the non-platinum antitumor agents, gold complexes have received increased attention owing to their strong antiproliferative effects, which generally occur through non-cisplatin-like mechanisms of action. Several studies have revealed that many cytotoxic gold compounds, such as N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-gold(I) complexes, are potent thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) inhibitors. Many other pathways have been supposed to be altered by gold coordination to protein targets. Within this frame, we have selected two gold(I) complexes based on aromatic ligands to be tested on cancer cells. Differently from bis [1,3-diethyl-4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) bromide (Au4BC), bis [1-methyl-3-acridineimidazolin-2-ylidene]gold(I) tetrafluoroborate (Au3BC) inhibited TrxR1 activity in vitro. Treatment of Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, with Au4BC inhibited cell viability, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, caused DNA damage, and induced autophagy and apoptosis. Notably, we found that, although Au3BC inhibited TrxR1 activity, no effect on the cell viabilities of HCC and BC cells was observed. At the molecular level, Au3BC induced a protective response mechanism in Huh7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, by inducing up-regulation of RAD51 and p62 protein expression, two proteins involved in DNA damage repair and autophagy, respectively. RAD51 gene knock-down in HCC cells increased cell sensitivity to Au3BC by significant reduction of cell viability, induction of DNA damage, and induction of apoptosis and autophagy. All together, these results suggest that the tested NHC-Gold complexes, Au3BC and Au4BC, showed different mechanisms of action, either dependent or independent of TrxR1 inhibition. As a result, Au3BC and Au4BC were found to be promising candidates as anticancer drugs for the treatment of HCC and BC.
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14
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Marciano Y, del Solar V, Nayeem N, Dave D, Son J, Contel M, Ulijn RV. Encapsulation of Gold-Based Anticancer Agents in Protease-Degradable Peptide Nanofilaments Enhances Their Potency. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:234-246. [PMID: 36542079 PMCID: PMC10720394 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the use of amphiphilic, protease-cleavable peptides as encapsulation moieties for hydrophobic metallodrugs, in order to enhance their bioavailability and consequent activity. Two hydrophobic, gold-containing anticancer agents varying in aromatic ligand distribution (Au(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene compounds 1 and 2) were investigated. These were encapsulated into amphiphilic decapeptides that form soluble filamentous structures with hydrophobic cores, varying supramolecular packing arrangements and surface charge. Peptide sequence strongly dictates the supramolecular packing within the aromatic core, which in turn dictates drug loading. Anionic peptide filaments can effectively load 1, and to a lesser extent 2, while their cationic counterparts could not, collectively demonstrating that loading efficiency is dictated by both aromatic and electrostatic (mis)matching between drug and peptide. Peptide nanofilaments were nontoxic to cancerous and noncancerous cells. By contrast, those loaded with 1 and 2 displayed enhanced cytotoxicity in comparison to 1 and 2 alone, when exposed to Caki-1 and MDA-MB-231 cancerous cell lines, while no cytotoxicity was observed in noncancerous lung fibroblasts, IMR-90. We propose that the enhanced in vitro activity results from the enhanced proteolytic activity in the vicinity of the cancer cells, thereby breaking the filaments into drug-bound peptide fragments that are taken up by these cells, resulting in enhanced cytotoxicity toward cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Marciano
- Nanoscience Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Virginia del Solar
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
| | - Nazia Nayeem
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- Ph.D. Program inBiology, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Dhwanit Dave
- Nanoscience Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, CUNY, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jiye Son
- Nanoscience Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - María Contel
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Ph.D. Program inBiology, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Rein V. Ulijn
- Nanoscience Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), 85 Saint Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, CUNY, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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15
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Xu Q, Zhang J, Zhao Z, Chu Y, Fang J. Revealing PACMA 31 as a new chemical type TrxR inhibitor to promote cancer cell apoptosis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119323. [PMID: 35793738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is a pivotal regulator of redox homeostasis, while dysregulation of redox homeostasis is a hallmark for cancer cells. Thus, there is considerable potential to inhibit the aberrantly upregulated TrxR in cancer cells to discover selective cancer therapeutic agents. Nevertheless, the structural types of TrxR inhibitors presented currently are still relatively limited. We herein report that PACMA 31, previously reported to inhibit protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), is a potent TrxR inhibitor. PACMA 31 possesses a pharmacophore scaffold that is structurally different from the announced TrxR inhibitors and exhibits effective cytotoxicity against cervical cancer cells. Our results reveal that PACMA 31 selectively inhibits TrxR over the related glutathione reductase (GR) and in the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH). Further studies with mutant enzyme and molecular docking suggest that the propynamide fragment of PACMA 31 interacts covalently with the selenocysteine residue of TrxR. Moreover, PACMA 31 effectively and selectively curbs TrxR activity in cells and further stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at low micromolar concentrations, which in turn triggers the accumulation of oxidized thioredoxin (Trx) and GSSG in cells. Follow-up studies demonstrate that PACMA 31 targets TrxR in cells to induce oxidative stress-mediated cancer cell apoptosis. Our results provide a new structural type of TrxR inhibitor that may serve as a useful probe for investigating the biology of TrxR-implicated pathways, and uncover a new target of PACMA 31 that contributes to it becoming a candidate for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhe Xu
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Junmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China..
| | - Zhengjia Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yajun Chu
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianguo Fang
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China..
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16
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Mather JC, Wyllie JA, Hamilton A, Soares da Costa TP, Barnard PJ. Antibacterial silver and gold complexes of imidazole and 1,2,4-triazole derived N-heterocyclic carbenes. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:12056-12070. [PMID: 35876319 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt01657e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A series of gold(I) (4a-4h, 5a-5b) and silver(I) (3a-3h) complexes of 1,2,4-triazolylidene and imidazolylidene based N-heterocyclic carbene ligands were prepared and the antibacterial activities of these complexes have been evaluated. The complexes were characterised using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HRMS and in the cases of 3a, 3c, 4b and 5b by X-ray crystallography. The gold(I) complexes with phenyl substituents (4a-4d) were found to have potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, with the complexes of the 1,2,4-triazolylidene ligands being more active (4c, MIC = 4-8 μg mL-1 against Enterococcus faecium and 2 μg mL-1 against Staphylococcus aureus) than the analogous imidazolylidene complexes 4a and 4b (4a, MIC = 64 μg mL-1 against E. faecium and 2-4 μg mL-1 against S. aureus). Two of the silver(I) complexes have promising antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumannii (3f, MIC = 2-4 μg mL-1 and 3g, MIC = 2 μg mL-1). Silver(I) complex 3f and gold(I) complex 4c were tested against multi-drug resistant bacterial strains and high levels of antibacterial activity were observed. The potential for antibacterial resistance to develop against these metal containing complexes was investigated and significantly, no resistance was observed upon continuous treatment, whilst resistance was developed against the widely used broad-spectrum antibiotic ciprofloxacin in the same bacterial strains, under the conditions tested. The solution and gas phase stabilities of the complexes have been investigated using a combination of 1H-NMR, HRMS and detailed computational mechanistic studies were undertaken to gain insights into the possible decomposition reactions for silver complexes in aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel C Mather
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
| | - Jessica A Wyllie
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
| | - Alex Hamilton
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre (BMRC) and Department of Biosciences and Chemistry, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, S1 1WB, UK
| | - Tatiana P Soares da Costa
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
| | - Peter J Barnard
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
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17
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Lu Y, Ma X, Chang X, Liang Z, Lv L, Shan M, Lu Q, Wen Z, Gust R, Liu W. Recent development of gold(I) and gold(III) complexes as therapeutic agents for cancer diseases. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:5518-5556. [PMID: 35699475 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00933h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Metal complexes have demonstrated significant antitumor activities and platinum complexes are well established in the clinical application of cancer chemotherapy. However, the platinum-based treatment of different types of cancers is massively hampered by severe side effects and resistance development. Consequently, the development of novel metal-based drugs with different mechanism of action and pharmaceutical profile attracts modern medicinal chemists to design and synthesize novel metal-based agents. Among non-platinum anticancer drugs, gold complexes have gained considerable attention due to their significant antiproliferative potency and efficacy. In most situations, the gold complexes exhibit anticancer activities by targeting thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) or other thiol-rich proteins and enzymes and trigger cell death via reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interestingly, gold complexes were recently reported to elicit biochemical hallmarks of immunogenic cell death (ICD) as an ICD inducer. In this review, the recent progress of gold(I) and gold(III) complexes is comprehensively summarized, and their activities and mechanism of action are documented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Lu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Ma
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xingyu Chang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Zhenlin Liang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Lin Lv
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Min Shan
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Qiuyue Lu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Zhenfan Wen
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Ronald Gust
- Institute of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Wukun Liu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China. .,State key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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18
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Xiao Q, Liu Y, Jiang G, Liu Y, Huang Y, Liu W, Zhang Z. Heteroleptic Gold(I)-bisNHC complex with excellent activity in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo against endometrial cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 236:114302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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19
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Golzadeh B, Kazeri-shandiz S, Akbari A. On the nature of M L bond and the puckering of some B-heterocyclic carbenes and silylenes in their relevant complexes with coinage metals: A theoretical quest. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.132192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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20
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Tolbatov I, Marrone A. Selenocysteine of thioredoxin reductase as the primary target for the antitumor metallodrugs: A computational point of view. J Organomet Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jorganchem.2022.122330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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21
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Rheumatoid arthritis drug sinomenine induces apoptosis of cervical tumor cells by targeting thioredoxin reductase in vitro and in vivo. Bioorg Chem 2022; 122:105711. [PMID: 35247807 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Overexpression of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) has been linked to tumorigenesis and phenotypic maintenance of malignant tumors. Thus, targeting TrxR with natural molecules is a promising strategy for developing anticancer drugs. Sinomenine is a naturally occurring alkaloid isolated from Sinomenium acutum. The drug, Zhengqing Fengtongning made from sinomenine, has been universally applied in rheumatoid arthritis treatment in China as well as other Asian countries for decades. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that sinomenine appears to be a promising therapeutic agent against various cancer cells. However, the exact mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of sinomenine remains unclear. In this study, we identified sinomenine as a kind of new inhibitor for TrxR. Pharmacological inhibition of TrxR by sinomenine results in the decrease of thiols content, increases the levels of reactive oxygen species, and finally facilitates oxidative stress-mediated cancer cell apoptosis. It is vital that knockdown in TrxR1 by shRNA can increase cell sensitivity to sinomenine. Treatment with sinomenine in vivo leads to a decrease in TrxR activity and tumor growth, and an increase in apoptosis. Our findings provide a novel action mechanism related to sinomenine and presents an insight on how to develop sinomenine as a chemotherapeutic agent for cancer therapy.
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22
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Xu Q, Zhang J. Novel strategies for targeting the thioredoxin system for cancer therapy. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:437-442. [PMID: 35193453 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2045270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : The thioredoxin system is increasingly recognized as an important executor for maintaining cell redox homeostasis and regulating multiple cell signaling pathways. Targeting this system for cancer treatment has therefore attracted much attention. AREAS COVERED : The authors focus on providing coverage and emphasizing the strategy of targeting the thioredoxin system to develop anticancer therapeutics in the past five years, especially from the perspective of discovering novel protein functions or new downstream regulatory pathways, and designing new therapeutic reagents. The authors also provide the readers with their expert perspectives for future development. EXPERT OPINION : The limited pharmacophore of inhibitors and the slow progress of clinical research partially restrict the development of anticancer drugs targeting the thioredoxin system, necessitating thus novel strategies to accelerate the system for treating cancer. Nevertheless, the synergistic targeting of thioredoxin system for cancer therapy is a promising strategy, particularly with regards to chemotherapy resistance and/or sensitization immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhe Xu
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Junmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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23
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Zhang J, Xu Q, Ma D. Inhibition of thioredoxin reductase by natural anticancer candidate β-lapachone accounts for triggering redox activation-mediated HL-60 cell apoptosis. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 180:244-252. [PMID: 35091063 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
β-Lapachone as a natural novel anticancer candidate is under clinical trials. Previous studies suggested that β-lapachone works by redox activation to ablate cancer cells. However, it is still unclear whether thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), one of the key redox catalytic enzymes in cells, plays a role in the pharmacological effects of β-lapachone. Herein, we present that β-lapachone kills human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells with preference over other cancer cells and normal cells. The follow-up studies demonstrate that β-lapachone induces the HL-60 cell apoptosis through inhibition of TrxR and further elevation of oxidative stress. Overexpression of the TrxR alleviates the efficiency of β-lapachone while knockdown of the enzyme increases the β-lapachone cytotoxicity, scientifically underpinning the correlation of the observed biological behaviors of β-lapachone to TrxR inhibition. The disclosure of the novel action mechanism of β-lapachone sheds light on understanding its capacity in interfering with cellular redox signaling and supports β-lapachone as an anticancer drug candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau (SAR), China.
| | - Qianhe Xu
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Di Ma
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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24
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Expanding the armory for treating lymphoma: Targeting redox cellular status through thioredoxin reductase inhibition. Pharmacol Res 2022; 177:106134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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25
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Scattolin T, Lippmann P, Beliš M, Van Hecke K, Ottb I, Nolan SP. A simple synthetic entryway into (N‐heterocyclic carbene)gold‐steroidyl complexes and their anticancer activity. Appl Organomet Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/aoc.6624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Scattolin
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Sustainable Chemistry Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Petra Lippmann
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
| | - Marek Beliš
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Sustainable Chemistry Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Kristof Van Hecke
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Sustainable Chemistry Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Ingo Ottb
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
| | - Steven P. Nolan
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Sustainable Chemistry Ghent University Ghent Belgium
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26
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Goetzfried SK, Kapitza P, Gallati CM, Nindl A, Cziferszky M, Hermann M, Wurst K, Kircher B, Gust R. Investigations of the reactivity, stability and biological activity of halido (NHC)gold(I) complexes. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:1395-1406. [PMID: 34989741 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt03528b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The significance of the halido ligand (Cl-, Br-, I-) in halido[3-ethyl-4-phenyl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) complexes (2-4) in terms of ligand exchange reactions, including the ligand scrambling to the bis[3-ethyl-4-phenyl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) complex (5), was evaluated by HPLC in acetonitrile/water = 50:50 (v/v) mixtures. In the presence of 0.9% NaCl, the bromido (NHC)gold(I) complex 3 was immediately transformed into the chlorido (NHC)gold(I) complex 2. The iodido (NHC)gold(I) complex 4 converted under the same conditions during 0.5 h of incubation by 52.83% to 2 and by 8.77% to 5. This proportion remained nearly constant for 72 h. The halido (NHC)gold(I) complexes also reacted very rapidly with 1 eq. of model nucleophiles, e.g., iodide or selenocysteine (Sec). For instance, Sec transformed 3 in the proportion 73.03% to the (NHC)Au(I)Sec complex during 5 min of incubation. This high reactivity against this amino acid, present in the active site of the thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), correlates with the complete inhibition of the isolated TrxR enzyme at 1 μM. Interestingly, in cellular systems (A2780cis cells), even at a 5-fold higher concentration, no increased ROS levels were detected. The concentration required for ROS generation was about 20 μM. Superficially considered, the antiproliferative and antimetabolic activities of the halido (NHC)Au(I) complexes correlate with the reactivity of the Au(I)-X bond (2 < 3 < 4). However, it is very likely that degradation products formed during the incubation in cell culture medium participated in the biological activity. In particular, the high-cytotoxic [(NHC)2Au(I)]+ complex (5) distorts the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Katharina Goetzfried
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Paul Kapitza
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Caroline Marie Gallati
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna Nindl
- Department of Internal Medicine V (Hematology and Oncology), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.,Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innrain 66, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Monika Cziferszky
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Hermann
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus Wurst
- Institute for General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Brigitte Kircher
- Department of Internal Medicine V (Hematology and Oncology), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.,Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innrain 66, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ronald Gust
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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27
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Annunziata A, Ferraro G, Cucciolito ME, Imbimbo P, Tuzi A, Monti DM, Merlino A, Ruffo F. Halo complexes of gold( i) containing glycoconjugate carbene ligands: synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity and interaction with proteins and DNA model systems. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:10475-10485. [DOI: 10.1039/d2dt00423b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
New neutral Au(i) glycoconjugate carbene complexes show stability in aqueous solutions and interact with both DNA and protein model systems. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrate that the activity depends on the halide ancillary ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Annunziata
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario di Reattività Chimica e Catalisi (CIRCC), Via Celso Ulpiani 27, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Giarita Ferraro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Cucciolito
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario di Reattività Chimica e Catalisi (CIRCC), Via Celso Ulpiani 27, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Imbimbo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Angela Tuzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Daria Maria Monti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonello Merlino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Ruffo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario di Reattività Chimica e Catalisi (CIRCC), Via Celso Ulpiani 27, 70126, Bari, Italy
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28
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Metal Complexes or Chelators with ROS Regulation Capacity: Promising Candidates for Cancer Treatment. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 27:molecules27010148. [PMID: 35011380 PMCID: PMC8746559 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are rapidly eliminated and reproduced in organisms, and they always play important roles in various biological functions and abnormal pathological processes. Evaluated ROS have frequently been observed in various cancers to activate multiple pro-tumorigenic signaling pathways and induce the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2•-) are the most important redox signaling agents in cancer cells, the homeostasis of which is maintained by dozens of growth factors, cytokines, and antioxidant enzymes. Therefore, antioxidant enzymes tend to have higher activity levels to maintain the homeostasis of ROS in cancer cells. Effective intervention in the ROS homeostasis of cancer cells by chelating agents or metal complexes has already developed into an important anti-cancer strategy. We can inhibit the activity of antioxidant enzymes using chelators or metal complexes; on the other hand, we can also use metal complexes to directly regulate the level of ROS in cancer cells via mitochondria. In this review, metal complexes or chelators with ROS regulation capacity and with anti-cancer applications are collectively and comprehensively analyzed, which is beneficial for the development of the next generation of inorganic anti-cancer drugs based on ROS regulation. We expect that this review will provide a new perspective to develop novel inorganic reagents for killing cancer cells and, further, as candidates or clinical drugs.
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29
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Tolbatov I, Marrone A, Coletti C, Re N. Computational Studies of Au(I) and Au(III) Anticancer MetalLodrugs: A Survey. Molecules 2021; 26:7600. [PMID: 34946684 PMCID: PMC8707411 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Owing to the growing hardware capabilities and the enhancing efficacy of computational methodologies, computational chemistry approaches have constantly become more important in the development of novel anticancer metallodrugs. Besides traditional Pt-based drugs, inorganic and organometallic complexes of other transition metals are showing increasing potential in the treatment of cancer. Among them, Au(I)- and Au(III)-based compounds are promising candidates due to the strong affinity of Au(I) cations to cysteine and selenocysteine side chains of the protein residues and to Au(III) complexes being more labile and prone to the reduction to either Au(I) or Au(0) in the physiological milieu. A correct prediction of metal complexes' properties and of their bonding interactions with potential ligands requires QM computations, usually at the ab initio or DFT level. However, MM, MD, and docking approaches can also give useful information on their binding site on large biomolecular targets, such as proteins or DNA, provided a careful parametrization of the metal force field is employed. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent computational studies of Au(I) and Au(III) antitumor compounds and of their interactions with biomolecular targets, such as sulfur- and selenium-containing enzymes, like glutathione reductases, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, cysteine protease, thioredoxin reductase and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iogann Tolbatov
- Institut de Chimie Moleculaire de l’Université de Bourgogne (ICMUB), Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), Avenue Alain Savary 9, 21078 Dijon, France;
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.M.); (C.C.)
| | - Cecilia Coletti
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.M.); (C.C.)
| | - Nazzareno Re
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.M.); (C.C.)
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30
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Zhang J, Zheng ZQ, Xu Q, Li Y, Gao K, Fang J. Onopordopicrin from the new genus Shangwua as a novel thioredoxin reductase inhibitor to induce oxidative stress-mediated tumor cell apoptosis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 36:790-801. [PMID: 33733960 PMCID: PMC7993383 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1899169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Isolation and identification of natural products from plants is an essential approach for discovering drug candidates. Herein we report the characterization of three sesquiterpene lactones from a new genus Shangwua, e.g. onopordopicrin (ONP), C2, and C3, and evaluation of their pharmacological functions in interfering cellular redox signaling. Compared to C2 and C3, ONP shows the most potency in killing cancer cells. Further experiments demonstrate that ONP robustly inhibits thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which leads to perturbation of cellular redox homeostasis with the favor of oxidative stress. Knockdown of the TrxR sensitizes cells to the ONP treatment while overexpression of the enzyme reduces the potency of ONP, underpinning the correlation of TrxR inhibition to the cytotoxicity of ONP. The discovery of ONP expands the library of the natural TrxR inhibitors, and the disclosure of the action mechanism of ONP provides a foundation for the further development of ONP as an anticancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zai-Qin Zheng
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qianhe Xu
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ya Li
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Kun Gao
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianguo Fang
- School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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31
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Gold(I) Complexes with P-Donor Ligands and Their Biological Evaluation. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9122100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gold(I) complexes with phosphine ligands—[Au(TrippyPhos)Cl] (1) (TrippyPhos = 1-[2-[bis(tert-butyl)phosphino]phenyl]-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole), [Au(BippyPhos)Cl]0.5CH2Cl2 (2) (BippyPhos = 5-(di-tert-butylphosphino)-1′, 3′, 5′-triphenyl-1′H-[1,4′]bipyrazole), and [Au(meCgPPh)Cl] (3) (meCgPPh = 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-6-phenyl-2,4,8-trioxa-6-phosphaadamantane—were investigated as types of bioactive gold metallodrugs. Complexes (1)–(3) were characterized using IR, 1H, 13C, 31P NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). Complexes of (1) and (2) exhibited substantial in vitro cytotoxicity (IC50 = 0.5–7.0 μM) against both the cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant variants of the A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cell line, as well as against the A549 human lung carcinoma, K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia, and HeLa (human cervix carcinoma) cells. However, among the compounds studied, complex (2) showed the most promising biological properties: the highest stability in biologically relevant media, selectivity towards cancer cells over the non-cancer cells (HUVEC, human umbilical vein endothelial cells), and the highest inhibitory effect on cytosolic NADPH-dependent reductases in A2780 and A2780cis cells among the gold complexes under analysis.
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32
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Song ZL, Zhang J, Xu Q, Shi D, Yao X, Fang J. Structural Modification of Aminophenylarsenoxides Generates Candidates for Leukemia Treatment via Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition. J Med Chem 2021; 64:16132-16146. [PMID: 34704769 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Upregulation of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is of pathological significance in maintaining tumor phenotypes. Thus, TrxR inhibitors are promising cancer therapeutic agents. We prepared different amino-substituted phenylarsine oxides and evaluated their cytotoxicity and inhibition of TrxR. Compared with our reported p-substituted molecule (8), the o-substituted molecule (10) shows improved efficacy (nearly a fourfold increase) to kill leukemia HL-60 cells. Although the compounds 8 and 10 display similar potency to inhibit the purified TrxR, the o-substitution 10 exhibits higher potency than the p-substitution 8 to inhibit the cellular TrxR activity. Molecular docking results demonstrate the favorable weak interactions of the o-amino group with the TrxR C-terminal active site. Efficient inhibition of TrxR consequently induces the oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis of cancer cells. Silence of the TrxR expression sensitizes the cells to the arsenic compound treatment, further supporting the critical involvement of TrxR in the cellular actions of compound 10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Long Song
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.,Botanical Agrochemicals Research & Development Center, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Junmin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Qianhe Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Danfeng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jianguo Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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33
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Büssing R, Karge B, Lippmann P, Jones PG, Brönstrup M, Ott I. Gold(I) and Gold(III) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes as Antibacterial Agents and Inhibitors of Bacterial Thioredoxin Reductase. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:3402-3409. [PMID: 34268875 PMCID: PMC9290826 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A series of (NHC)Au(I)Cl monocarbene complexes and their gold(III) analogues (NHC)Au(III)Cl3 were prepared and investigated as antibacterial agents and inhibitors of bacterial TrxR. The complexes showed stronger antibacterial effects against the Gram-positive MRSA and E. faecium strains than against several Gram-negative bacteria. All complexes were efficient inhibitors of bacterial thioredoxin reductase, indicating that inhibition of this enzyme might be involved in their mechanism of action. The efficacy of gold(I) and gold(III) analogues was comparable in most of the assays. The cytotoxicity of the gold NHC compounds against cancer and human cells was overall weaker than the activity against the Gram-positive bacteria, suggesting that their optimization as antibacterials warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Büssing
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstrasse 55, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Bianka Karge
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Lippmann
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstrasse 55, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Peter G Jones
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mark Brönstrup
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ingo Ott
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstrasse 55, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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34
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Tong KKH, Hanif M, Movassaghi S, Sullivan MP, Lovett JH, Hummitzsch K, Söhnel T, Jamieson SMF, Bhargava SK, Harris HH, Hartinger CG. Triazolyl-Functionalized N-Heterocyclic Carbene Half-Sandwich Compounds: Coordination Mode, Reactivity and in vitro Anticancer Activity. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:3017-3026. [PMID: 34196118 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We report investigations on the anticancer activity of organometallic [MII/III (η6 -p-cymene/η5 -pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)] (M=Ru, Os, Rh, and Ir) complexes of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) substituted with a triazolyl moiety. Depending on the precursors, the NHC ligands displayed either mono- or bidentate coordination via the NHC carbon atom or as N,C-donors. The metal complexes were investigated for their stability in aqueous solution, with the interpretation supported by density functional theory calculations, and reactivity to biomolecules. In vitro cytotoxicity studies suggested that the nature of both the metal center and the lipophilicity of the ligand determine the biological properties of this class of compounds. The IrIII complex 5 d bearing a benzimidazole-derived ligand was the most cytotoxic with an IC50 value of 10 μM against NCI-H460 non-small cell lung carcinoma cells. Cell uptake and distribution studies using X-ray fluorescence microscopy revealed localization of 5 d in the cytoplasm of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin K H Tong
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Muhammad Hanif
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sanam Movassaghi
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Matthew P Sullivan
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - James H Lovett
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Katja Hummitzsch
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Adelaide, Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Tilo Söhnel
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Stephen M F Jamieson
- Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Suresh K Bhargava
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hugh H Harris
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Christian G Hartinger
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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35
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Goetzfried SK, Koenig SMC, Gallati CM, Gust R. Internal and External Influences on Stability and Ligand Exchange Reactions in Bromido[3-ethyl-4-aryl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2 H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) Complexes. Inorg Chem 2021; 60:8546-8553. [PMID: 34097405 PMCID: PMC8277168 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The ligand scrambling
reaction of gold(I) complexes is a phenomenon
occurring primarily in L–AuI–X (L = phosphine, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), and thiol; X = halide and
thiol) complexes and has been observed among others for e.g., the
bromido[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) complex (7a),
which underwent ligand rearrangement in aqueous solutions. In this
study, we investigated the influence of substituents on the 4-aryl
ring of the related (NHC)AuIBr complexes (1a–9a) in terms of the conversion to the [(NHC)2AuI]+ (1b–9b) and [(NHC)2AuIIIBr2]+ (1c–9c) species. Furthermore,
the influence of external factors such as solvent, temperature, concentration,
and presence of halides (Cl–, Br–, and I–) or hydroxyl ions was studied to gain
a deeper understanding of the ligand rearrangement reaction. The substituent
on the 4-aryl ring has a marginal impact on the scrambling reaction.
Out of the investigated organic solvents (dimethylformamide (DMF),
dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethanol (EtOH), methanol (MeOH), and acetonitrile
(ACN)), only ACN separates single complex molecules. In all other
solvents, relatively stable ((NHC)AuIBr)2 dimers
are present. The addition of water to ACN solutions forces the formation
of such dimeric units, starting the transformation to [(NHC)2AuI]+ and [(NHC)2AuIIIBr2]+. The rate-determining step is the release
of Br– from a T-shape intermediate because an excess
of KBr terminates this reaction. Furthermore, it is obvious that only
single molecules react with halides. The aurophilic interactions between
two (NHC)AuIBr molecules are too strong in the presence
of water and largely impeded reaction with halides. As a single molecule,
the reaction with Cl– (e.g., in a 0.9% NaCl solution)
is notable, while I– even leads to a fast and quantitative
conversion to (NHC)AuII and finally to [(NHC)2AuI]+. Internal
and external factors of the ligand scrambling reaction
in (NHC)AuIBr complexes were investigated by the means
of HPLC. The data represent the impact of substituents, temperature,
solvent, concentration and addition of halides on the conversion to
the respective [(NHC)2AuI]+ and the
oxidation to the [(NHC)2AuIIIBr2]+ complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Katharina Goetzfried
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
| | - Sophie Marie Charlotte Koenig
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
| | - Caroline Marie Gallati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
| | - Ronald Gust
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
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36
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Biegański P, Szczupak Ł, Arruebo M, Kowalski K. Brief survey on organometalated antibacterial drugs and metal-based materials with antibacterial activity. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:368-386. [PMID: 34458790 PMCID: PMC8341851 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00218f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rising bacterial antibiotic resistance is a global threat. To deal with it, new antibacterial agents and antiseptic materials need to be developed. One alternative in this quest is the organometallic derivatization of well-established antibacterial drugs and also the fabrication of advanced metal-based materials having antibacterial properties. Metal-based agents and materials often show new modes of antimicrobial action which enable them to overcome drug resistance in pathogenic bacterial strains. This review summarizes recent (2017-2020) progress in the field of organometallic-derived antibacterial drugs and metal-based materials having antibacterial activity. Specifically, it covers organometallic derivatives of antibacterial drugs including β-lactams, ciprofloxacin, isoniazid, trimethoprim, sulfadoxine, sulfamethoxazole, and ethambutol as well as non-antibacterial drugs like metformin, phenformin and aspirin. Recent advances and reported clinical trials in the use of metal-based nanomaterials as antibiofouling coatings on medical devices, as photocatalytic agents in indoor air pollutant control, and also as photodynamic/photothermal antimicrobial agents are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Biegański
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Łódź Tamka 12 91-403 Łódź Poland +48-42-635-5759
| | - Łukasz Szczupak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Łódź Tamka 12 91-403 Łódź Poland +48-42-635-5759
| | - Manuel Arruebo
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza Zaragoza 50009 Spain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Río Ebro - Edificio I + D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor S/N 50018 Zaragoza Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, CIBER-BBN 28029 Madrid Spain
| | - Konrad Kowalski
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Łódź Tamka 12 91-403 Łódź Poland +48-42-635-5759
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37
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Guarra F, Pratesi A, Gabbiani C, Biver T. A focus on the biological targets for coinage metal-NHCs as potential anticancer complexes. J Inorg Biochem 2021; 217:111355. [PMID: 33596529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Metal complexes of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands are the object of increasing attention for therapeutic purposes. Among the different metal centres, interest on Au-based compounds started with the application as anti-arthritis drugs. On the other hand, Ag(I) antimicrobial properties have been known for a long time. For Au(I)/Au(III)-NHC and Ag(I)-NHC anti-tumour and anti-proliferative properties have been quite recently demonstrated. In addition to these and as for Group 11, copper is a much less investigated metal centre, but a few papers underline its pharmacological potential. This review wants to focus on the different biological targets for these metal-based compounds. It is divided into chapters which are respectively devoted on: i) mitochondria and thiol oxidoreductase systems; ii) other relevant enzymes; iii) nucleic acids. Examples of representative coinage NHCs for each of the targets are provided together with significant references on recent advances on the topic. Moreover, a final comment summarises the aspects enlightened by each chapter and provides some hints to better understand the metal-NHCs mechanistic behaviour based on structure-activity relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Guarra
- 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
| | - Chiara Gabbiani
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tarita Biver
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno Pisano 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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38
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Gallati CM, Goetzfried SK, Ortmeier A, Sagasser J, Wurst K, Hermann M, Baecker D, Kircher B, Gust R. Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of bis[3-ethyl-4-aryl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(i) complexes. Dalton Trans 2021; 50:4270-4279. [PMID: 33688890 DOI: 10.1039/d0dt03902k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A series of bis[3-ethyl-4-aryl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(i) complexes (2a-f) containing methyl, fluoro or methoxy substituents at various positions in the 4-aryl ring was synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer properties in A2780 (wild-type and Cisplatin-resistant) ovarian carcinoma as well as LAMA 84 (imatinib-sensitive and -resistant) and HL-60 leukemia cell lines. The bis-NHC gold(i) complexes were more active compared to their related mono-NHC gold(i) analogues and reduced proliferation and metabolic activity in a low micromolar range. With the exception of 2d (3-F), the compounds displayed higher potency than the established drugs Auranofin and Cisplatin. The lack of effects against non-cancerous lung fibroblast SV-80 cells indicated a high selectivity towards tumor cells. All tested complexes generated reactive oxygen species in A2780cis cells; however, the induction of apoptosis was very low. Furthermore, thioredoxin reductase is not the main target of these complexes, because its inhibition pattern did not correlate with their biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Marie Gallati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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39
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Ojha R, Mason D, Forsyth CM, Deacon GB, Junk PC, Bond AM. Diverse and unexpected outcomes from oxidation of the platinum(II) anticancer agent [Pt{(p-BrC 6F 4)NCH 2CH 2NEt 2}Cl(py)] by hydrogen peroxide. J Inorg Biochem 2021; 218:111360. [PMID: 33711633 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxidation of the anti-tumour agent [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Cl(py)], 1 (py = pyridine) with hydrogen peroxide under a variety of conditions yields a range of organoenamineamidoplatinum(II) compounds [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH=C(X)NEt2}Cl(py)] (X = H, Cl, Br) as well as species with shared occupancy involving H, Cl and Br. Thus, oxidation of the -CH2-CH2- backbone (dehydrogenation) occurs, often accompanied by substitution. Oxidation of 1 with H2O2 in acetone yielded 1:1 co-crystallized [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH=CHNEt2}Cl(py)], 1H and [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH=C(Cl)NEt2}Cl(py)], 1Cl. The former was obtained pure in low yield from the oxidation of 1 with (NH4)2[Ce(NO3)6] in acetone, and the latter was obtained from 1 and H2O2 in CH2Cl2 at near reflux. From the latter reaction under vigorous refluxing [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH=C(Br)NEt2}Cl(py)], 1Br was isolated. In refluxing acetonitrile, oxidation of 1 with H2O2 yielded [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH=C(H0.25Br0.75)NEt2}Cl(py)], 1H0.25Br0.75, in which the alkene is mainly substituted by Br in a dual occupancy. Treatment of 1 with H2O2 and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide in acetone at room temperature formed [Pt{(p-HC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Cl(py)], 2. Oxidation of [Pt{(p-HC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Br(py)], 3 with H2O2 in boiling acetonitrile gave the ligand oxidation product [Pt{(p-HC6F4)NCH=C(Br)NEt2}Br(py)], 3Br. All major products were identified by X-ray crystallography as well as by 1H and 19F NMR spectra. In cases of mixed crystals or dual occupancy compounds, the 19F and 1H NMR spectra showed dissociation into the components in the solution in the same proportions as in isolated crystalline material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchika Ojha
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Dayna Mason
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Craig M Forsyth
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Glen B Deacon
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia.
| | - Peter C Junk
- College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
| | - Alan M Bond
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia.
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40
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Proetto MT, Alexander K, Melaimi M, Bertrand G, Gianneschi NC. Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene (CAAC) Gold(I) Complexes as Chemotherapeutic Agents. Chemistry 2021; 27:3772-3778. [PMID: 33090571 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202004317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbenes (CAACs) have become forceful ligands for gold due to their ability to form very strong ligand-metal bonds. Inspired by the success of Auranofin and other gold complexes as antitumor agents, we have studied the cytotoxicity of bis- and mono-CAAC-gold complexes on different cancer cell lines: HeLa (cervical cancer), A549 (lung cancer), HT1080 (fibrosarcoma) and Caov-3 (ovarian cancer). Further investigations aimed at elucidating their mechanism of action are described. This includes quantification of affinities for TrxR, evaluation of their bioavailability and determination of associated cell death process. Moreover, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used to study morphological changes upon exposure. Noticeably, a significant reduction in non-specific binding to serum proteins was observed with CAAC complexes when compared to Auranofin. These results confirm the potential of CAAC-gold complexes in biological environments, which may result in more specific drug-target interactions and decreased side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T Proetto
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Pharmacology, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Simpson Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Il, 60208, USA
| | - Kelsey Alexander
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Mohand Melaimi
- UCSD-CNRS Joint Research Laboratory (UMI 3555), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0358, USA
| | - Guy Bertrand
- UCSD-CNRS Joint Research Laboratory (UMI 3555), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0358, USA
| | - Nathan C Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Pharmacology, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Simpson Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Il, 60208, USA
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41
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Le HV, Babak MV, Ehsan MA, Altaf M, Reichert L, Gushchin AL, Ang WH, Isab AA. Highly cytotoxic gold(i)-phosphane dithiocarbamate complexes trigger an ER stress-dependent immune response in ovarian cancer cells. Dalton Trans 2021; 49:7355-7363. [PMID: 32432621 DOI: 10.1039/d0dt01411g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a highly aggressive disease which is treated by surgery and platinum chemotherapy. However, a significant proportion of treated patients develop resistance to platinum treatment resulting in tumor relapse. Acquired platinum resistance has been recently correlated with activation of pro-survival endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses. We hypothesized that Au complexes that induce severe ER stress might counteract pro-survival cellular attempts leading to the ER stress-mediated apoptosis and reduced platinum resistance. In this work, we prepared a series of highly cytotoxic AuI-dialkyldithiocarbamate complexes and investigated their anticancer potential in ovarian cancer cells. Complexes demonstrated surprisingly low stability in chloroform, resulting in the formation of an Au chain polymer, which also displayed excellent cytotoxicity. Lead complex 2 induced oxidative stress and ER stress-mediated p53-independent apoptosis associated with PARP cleavage and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Importantly, 2 caused the surface exposure of calreticulin (CRT), which is the first step in the activation of cellular immunogenic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Van Le
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore.
| | - Maria V Babak
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore.
| | - Muhammad Ali Ehsan
- Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Altaf
- Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia and Department of Chemistry, Government College University Lahore, 54000 Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Lisa Reichert
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore.
| | - Artem L Gushchin
- Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 3 Acad. Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia and Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogov Street, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Wee Han Ang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore. and NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Singapore
| | - Anvarhusein A Isab
- Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
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42
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Safir Filho M, Scattolin T, Dao P, Tzouras NV, Benhida R, Saab M, Van Hecke K, Lippmann P, Martin AR, Ott I, Nolan SP. Straightforward synthetic route to gold(i)-thiolato glycoconjugate complexes bearing NHC ligands (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) and their promising anticancer activity. NEW J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj02117f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A simple and eco-friendly route to gold–NHC complexes bearing different thiosugars is reported.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Scattolin
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Sustainable Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Krijgslaan 281 (S-3)
- Ghent
- Belgium
| | - Pascal Dao
- Institut de Chimie de Nice
- Université Côte d’Azur
- CNRS
- UMR7272
- Nice
| | - Nikolaos V. Tzouras
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Sustainable Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Krijgslaan 281 (S-3)
- Ghent
- Belgium
| | - Rachid Benhida
- Institut de Chimie de Nice
- Université Côte d’Azur
- CNRS
- UMR7272
- Nice
| | - Marina Saab
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Sustainable Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Krijgslaan 281 (S-3)
- Ghent
- Belgium
| | - Kristof Van Hecke
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Sustainable Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Krijgslaan 281 (S-3)
- Ghent
- Belgium
| | - Petra Lippmann
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Technische Universität Braunschweig
- Beethovenstr. 55
- Braunschweig
- Germany
| | | | - Ingo Ott
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Technische Universität Braunschweig
- Beethovenstr. 55
- Braunschweig
- Germany
| | - Steven P. Nolan
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Sustainable Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Krijgslaan 281 (S-3)
- Ghent
- Belgium
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43
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Goetzfried SK, Gallati CM, Cziferszky M, Talmazan RA, Wurst K, Liedl KR, Podewitz M, Gust R. N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I) Complexes: Mechanism of the Ligand Scrambling Reaction and Their Oxidation to Gold(III) in Aqueous Solutions. Inorg Chem 2020; 59:15312-15323. [PMID: 33006470 PMCID: PMC7581288 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
![]()
N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) gold(I) complexes offer great
prospects in medicinal chemistry as antiproliferative, anticancer,
and antibacterial agents. However, further development requires a
thorough understanding of their reaction behavior in aqueous media.
Herein, we report the conversion of the bromido[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I)
((NHC)AuIBr, 1) complex in acetonitrile/water
mixtures to the bis[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I)
([(NHC)2AuI]+, 7), which
is subsequently oxidized to the dibromidobis[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold(III)
([(NHC)2AuIIIBr2]+, 9). By combining experimental data from HPLC, NMR, and (LC-)/HR-MS
with computational results from DFT calculations, we outline a detailed
ligand scrambling reaction mechanism. The key step is the formation
of the stacked ((NHC)AuIBr)2 dimer (2) that rearranges to the T-shaped intermediate Br(NHC)2AuI–AuIBr (3). The dissociation
of Br– from 3 and recombination lead
to (NHC)2AuI–AuIBr2 (5) followed by the separation into [(NHC)2AuI]+ (7) and [AuIBr2]− (8). [AuIBr2]− is not stable in an aqueous environment
and degrades in an internal redox reaction to Au0 and Br2. The latter in turn oxidizes 7 to the gold(III)
species 9. The reported ligand rearrangement of the (NHC)AuIBr complex differs from that found for related silver(I) analogous.
A detailed understanding of this scrambling mechanism is of utmost
importance for the interpretation of their biological activity and
will help to further optimize them for biomedical and other applications. By means of experimental data from HPLC
and (LC-)MS in combination with DFT calculations, we present a detailed
mechanism for the ligand scrambling reaction of (NHC)AuIBr to the corresponding [(NHC)2AuI]+ complex and the oxidation to the [(NHC)2AuIIIBr2]+ species in aqueous solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina K Goetzfried
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Caroline M Gallati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Monika Cziferszky
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Radu A Talmazan
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Klaus Wurst
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Klaus R Liedl
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Maren Podewitz
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
| | - Ronald Gust
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, Innsbruck, Tyrol 6020, Austria
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Jakob CHG, Dominelli B, Hahn EM, Berghausen TO, Pinheiro T, Marques F, Reich RM, Correia JDG, Kühn FE. Antiproliferative Activity of Functionalized Histidine-derived Au(I) bis-NHC Complexes for Bioconjugation. Chem Asian J 2020; 15:2754-2762. [PMID: 32592289 PMCID: PMC7689731 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202000620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A series of histidine derived Au(I) bis-NHC complexes bearing different ester, amide and carboxylic acid functionalities as well as wingtip substituents is synthesized and characterized. The stability in aqueous media, in vitro cytotoxicity in a set of cancer cell lines (MCF7, PC3 and A2780/A2780cisR) along with the cellular uptake are evaluated. Stability tests suggest hydrolysis of the ester within 8 h, which might lead to deactivation. Furthermore, the bis-NHC system shows a sufficient stability against cysteine and the thiol containing peptide GSH. The benzyl ester and amide show the highest activity comparable to the benchmark compound cisplatin, with the ester only displaying a slightly lower cytotoxicity than the amide. A cellular uptake study revealed that the benzyl ester and the amide could have different intracellular distribution profiles but both complexes induce perturbations of the cellular physiological processes. The simple modifiability and high stability of the complexes provides a promising system for upcoming post modifications to enable targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian H. G. Jakob
- Molecular CatalysisCatalysis Research Center and Department of Chemistry Department Technische Universität MünchenLichtenbergstrasse 4D-85748Garching bei MünchenGermany
| | - Bruno Dominelli
- Molecular CatalysisCatalysis Research Center and Department of Chemistry Department Technische Universität MünchenLichtenbergstrasse 4D-85748Garching bei MünchenGermany
| | - Eva M. Hahn
- Molecular CatalysisCatalysis Research Center and Department of Chemistry Department Technische Universität MünchenLichtenbergstrasse 4D-85748Garching bei MünchenGermany
| | - Tobias O. Berghausen
- Molecular CatalysisCatalysis Research Center and Department of Chemistry Department Technische Universität MünchenLichtenbergstrasse 4D-85748Garching bei MünchenGermany
| | - Teresa Pinheiro
- Institute for Bioengineering and BiosciencesDepartamento de Engenharia e Ciências NuclearesInstituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaAv. Rovisco Pais 11049-001LisboaPortugal
| | - Fernanda Marques
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias NuclearesDepartamento de Engenharia e Ciências NuclearesInstituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaCTN, Estrada Nacional 10 (km 139,7)2695-066Bobadela LRSPortugal
| | - Robert M. Reich
- Molecular CatalysisCatalysis Research Center and Department of Chemistry Department Technische Universität MünchenLichtenbergstrasse 4D-85748Garching bei MünchenGermany
| | - João D. G. Correia
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias NuclearesDepartamento de Engenharia e Ciências NuclearesInstituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaCTN, Estrada Nacional 10 (km 139,7)2695-066Bobadela LRSPortugal
| | - Fritz E. Kühn
- Molecular CatalysisCatalysis Research Center and Department of Chemistry Department Technische Universität MünchenLichtenbergstrasse 4D-85748Garching bei MünchenGermany
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45
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Bian M, Fan R, Jiang G, Wang Y, Lu Y, Liu W. Halo and Pseudohalo Gold(I)-NHC Complexes Derived from 4,5-Diarylimidazoles with Excellent In Vitro and In Vivo Anticancer Activities Against HCC. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9197-9211. [PMID: 32787098 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A series of halo and pseudohalo gold(I)-NHC complexes (NHC-Au-X) (X = Cl, Br, I, NCO, and OAc) derived from 4,5-diarylimidazoles were synthesized, structurally characterized, and analyzed for their biological activities. The most active complex was iodo(1,3-diethyl-4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene)gold(I) (6), which was at least 2-fold more cytotoxic than cisplatin and auranofin against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In vivo studies indicated that complex 6 exhibited a considerably higher anticancer efficacy (IRT = 75.7%) than cisplatin (IRT = 44.4%) in a HepG2 xenograft mouse model and ameliorated liver injury caused by CCl4 in chronic HCC. Further studies revealed that complex 6 can inhibit the expression of the thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) both in vitro and in vivo, block the HepG2 cells in the G2/M phase, induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, damage mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and promote HepG2 cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mianli Bian
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Rong Fan
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Guizhi Jiang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Yingxiang Wang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Yunlong Lu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Wukun Liu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
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46
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Curran D, Müller-Bunz H, Bär SI, Schobert R, Zhu X, Tacke M. Novel Anticancer NHC*-Gold(I) Complexes Inspired by Lepidiline A. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153474. [PMID: 32751607 PMCID: PMC7436326 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
N-Heterocyclic carbene gold(I) complexes derived from 1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-diphenylimidazol-2-ylidene (NHC*) represent a promising class of anticancer drugs. Complexes of the type NHC*-Au-L (L = Br−, I−, C≡C-R) and [NHC*-Au-L]+ (L = NHC*, PPh3) have been synthesised. The X-ray crystal structures of all gold(I) complexes are presented; aurophilic interactions were observed in five of the complexes. The anticancer activity was assessed via MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide)-based proliferation assays against the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116wt and the multidrug-resistant human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7topo. Most complexes showed good cytotoxicity with IC50 values in the low micromolar range, while excellent sub-micromolar activity was observed for 2c, 3a and 3b. Generally, the activity of the ligands studied was as follows: carbene > phosphine > alkyne > halide, with an exception for the highly active iodido derivative 2c.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Curran
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; (D.C.); (H.M.-B.); (X.Z.)
| | - Helge Müller-Bunz
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; (D.C.); (H.M.-B.); (X.Z.)
| | - Sofia I. Bär
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr., 30-95440 Bayreuth, Germany; (S.I.B.); (R.S.)
| | - Rainer Schobert
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr., 30-95440 Bayreuth, Germany; (S.I.B.); (R.S.)
| | - Xiangming Zhu
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; (D.C.); (H.M.-B.); (X.Z.)
| | - Matthias Tacke
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; (D.C.); (H.M.-B.); (X.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +353-(1)-716-8428
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Štarha P, Hošek J, Trávníček Z, Dvořák Z. Cytotoxic dimeric half‐sandwich Ru(II), Os(II) and Ir(III) complexes containing the 4,4′‐biphenyl‐based bridging ligands. Appl Organomet Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/aoc.5785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Štarha
- Division of Biologically Active Complexes and Molecular Magnets, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of SciencePalacký University in Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc 783 71 Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hošek
- Division of Biologically Active Complexes and Molecular Magnets, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of SciencePalacký University in Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc 783 71 Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Trávníček
- Division of Biologically Active Complexes and Molecular Magnets, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of SciencePalacký University in Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc 783 71 Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Dvořák
- Division of Biologically Active Complexes and Molecular Magnets, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of SciencePalacký University in Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc 783 71 Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of SciencePalacký University in Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc 783 71 Czech Republic
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48
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Yao J, Duan D, Song ZL, Zhang J, Fang J. Sanguinarine as a new chemical entity of thioredoxin reductase inhibitor to elicit oxidative stress and promote tumor cell apoptosis. Free Radic Biol Med 2020; 152:659-667. [PMID: 31931095 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The alteration of redox homeostasis is a hallmark of cancer cells. As a critical player in regulating cellular redox signaling, thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) enzymes are increasingly recognized as attractive targets for anticancer drug development. We reported herein the natural product sanguinarine (SAN) as a potent inhibitor of TrxR with a new chemical scaffold. Inhibition of TrxR leads to accumulation of the oxidized thioredoxin, elicits oxidative stress, and finally promotes apoptosis of cancer cells. Further synthesis of different model compounds of SAN demonstrated that the phenanthridinium unit is responsible for the TrxR inhibition. The core structure of SAN, e.g., the phenanthridinium moiety, is different from those of known TrxR inhibitors, and thus SAN is a new chemical entity of TrxR inhibitors and may serve a lead for further development. In addition, as the phenanthridinium scaffold is widely present in natural products, the disclosure of TrxR inhibition by such unit sheds light in understanding the pharmacological actions of these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China; School of Pharmacy, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Dongzhu Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China
| | - Zi-Long Song
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Junmin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Jianguo Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China.
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49
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Luo H, Cao B, Chan ASC, Sun RW, Zou T. Cyclometalated Gold(III)‐Hydride Complexes Exhibit Visible Light‐Induced Thiol Reactivity and Act as Potent Photo‐Activated Anti‐Cancer Agents. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:11046-11052. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202000528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hejiang Luo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug DiscoverySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
| | - Bei Cao
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, and General Education DivisionThe Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen 518172 P. R. China
| | - Albert S. C. Chan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug DiscoverySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
| | | | - Taotao Zou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug DiscoverySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination ChemistryNanjing University Nanjing 210093 P. R. China
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50
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Luo H, Cao B, Chan ASC, Sun RW, Zou T. Cyclometalated Gold(III)‐Hydride Complexes Exhibit Visible Light‐Induced Thiol Reactivity and Act as Potent Photo‐Activated Anti‐Cancer Agents. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202000528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hejiang Luo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug DiscoverySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
| | - Bei Cao
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, and General Education DivisionThe Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen 518172 P. R. China
| | - Albert S. C. Chan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug DiscoverySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
| | | | - Taotao Zou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug DiscoverySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesSun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination ChemistryNanjing University Nanjing 210093 P. R. China
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