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Scaccaglia M, Pinelli S, Manini L, Ghezzi B, Nicastro M, Heinrich J, Kulak N, Mozzoni P, Pelosi G, Bisceglie F. Gold(III) complexes with thiosemicarbazone ligands: insights into their cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cells. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 251:112438. [PMID: 38029536 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112438] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer continues to pose a global threat, underscoring the urgent need for more effective and safer treatment options. Gold-based compounds have recently emerged as promising candidates due to their diverse range of biological activities. In this study, three gold(III) complexes derived from thiosemicarbazone ligands have been synthesized, fully characterized, including their X-ray crystal structures. We conducted initial mode-of-action studies on DNA and BSA, followed by a comprehensive investigation into the cytotoxic effects of these novel gold(III) complexes on lung cancer cells (A549, H2052, and H28). The results demonstrated a concentration-dependent cytotoxic response, with H28 cells exhibiting the highest sensitivity to the treatment. Furthermore, the analysis of the cell cycle revealed that these compounds induce cell cycle arrest and promote apoptosis as a response to treatment. We also observed distinct morphological changes and increased oxidative stress, contributing significantly to cell death. Notably, these complexes exhibited the ability to suppress interleukin-6 production in mesothelioma cell lines, and this highlights their anti-inflammatory potential. To gain an initial understanding of cytotoxicity on healthy cells, hemolysis tests were conducted against human blood cells, with no evidence of hemolysis. Furthermore, a toxicity assessment through the in vivo Galleria mellonella model underscored the absence of detectable toxicity. These findings prove that these complexes are promising novel therapeutic agents for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Scaccaglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Silvana Pinelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Manini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Benedetta Ghezzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy; Centro Universitario di Odontoiatria, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy; Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica ed il Magnetismo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Parma, Italy
| | - Maria Nicastro
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Julian Heinrich
- Institute of Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nora Kulak
- Institute of Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; Institut für Chemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Golm, Germany
| | - Paola Mozzoni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy; CERT, Centre of Excellence for Toxicological Research, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Giorgio Pelosi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy; CERT, Centre of Excellence for Toxicological Research, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Franco Bisceglie
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy; CERT, Centre of Excellence for Toxicological Research, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
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Dharmasivam M, Kaya B, Wijesinghe TP, Richardson V, Harmer JR, Gonzalvez MA, Lewis W, Azad MG, Bernhardt PV, Richardson DR. Differential transmetallation of complexes of the anti-cancer thiosemicarbazone, Dp4e4mT: effects on anti-proliferative efficacy, redox activity, oxy-myoglobin and oxy-hemoglobin oxidation. Chem Sci 2024; 15:974-990. [PMID: 38239703 PMCID: PMC10793205 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc05723b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The di-2-pyridylthiosemicarbazone (DpT) analogs demonstrate potent and selective anti-proliferative activity against human tumors. The current investigation reports the synthesis and chemical and biological characterization of the Fe(iii), Co(iii), Ni(ii), Cu(ii), Zn(ii), Ga(iii), and Pd(ii) complexes of the promising second generation DpT analog, di-2-pyridylketone-4-ethyl-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp4e4mT). These studies demonstrate that the Dp4e4mT Co(iii), Ni(ii), and Pd(ii) complexes display distinct biological activity versus those with Cu(ii), Zn(ii), and Ga(iii) regarding anti-proliferative efficacy against cancer cells and a detrimental off-target effect involving oxidation of oxy-myoglobin (oxy-Mb) and oxy-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb). With regards to anti-proliferative activity, the Zn(ii) and Ga(iii) Dp4e4mT complexes demonstrate facile transmetallation with Cu(ii), resulting in efficacy against tumor cells that is strikingly similar to the Dp4e4mT Cu(ii) complex (IC50: 0.003-0.006 μM and 72 h). Relative to the Zn(ii) and Ga(iii) Dp4e4mT complexes, the Dp4e4mT Ni(ii) complex demonstrates kinetically slow transmetallation with Cu(ii) and intermediate anti-proliferative effects (IC50: 0.018-0.076 μM after 72 h). In contrast, the Co(iii) and Pd(ii) complexes demonstrate poor anti-proliferative activity (IC50: 0.262-1.570 μM after 72 h), probably due to a lack of transmetallation with Cu(ii). The poor efficacy of the Dp4e4mT Co(iii), Ni(ii), and Pd(ii) complexes to transmetallate with Fe(iii) markedly suppresses the oxidation of oxy-Mb and oxy-Hb. In contrast, the 2 : 1 Dp4e4mT: Cu(ii), Zn(ii), and Ga(iii) complexes demonstrate facile reactions with Fe(iii), leading to the redox active Dp4e4mT Fe(iii) complex and oxy-Mb and oxy-Hb oxidation. This study demonstrates the key role of differential transmetallation of Dp4e4mT complexes that has therapeutic ramifications for their use as anti-cancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendiran Dharmasivam
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
| | - Busra Kaya
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
| | - Tharushi P Wijesinghe
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
| | - Vera Richardson
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
| | - Jeffrey R Harmer
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Miguel A Gonzalvez
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - William Lewis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Mahan Gholam Azad
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
| | - Paul V Bernhardt
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Des R Richardson
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University Nathan Brisbane Queensland 4111 Australia
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine Nagoya 466-8550 Japan
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