Anti-tumor activity of Titanocene Y in xenografted Caki-1 tumors in mice

Novel Titanocene Y derivative with albumin affinity exhibits improved anticancer activity against platinum resistant cells

The antitumor activity of Ti(IV)-based compounds put them in the spotlight for cancer treatment in the past, but their lack of stability in vivo due to a high rate of hydrolysis has hindered their development as antitumor drugs. As a possible solution for this problem, we have reported a synthesis strategy through which we combined a titanocene fragment, a tridentate ligand, and a long aliphatic chain. This strategy allowed us to generate a titanium compound (Myr-Ti) capable of interacting with albumin, highly stable in water and with cytotoxic activity in tumor cells[1]. Following a similar strategy, now we report the synthesis of a new compound (Myr-TiY) derived from titanocene Y that shows antitumoral activity in a cisplatin resistant model with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 41-76 μM. This new compound shows high stability and a strong interaction with human serum albumin. Myr-TiY has a significant antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect on the tested cancer cells and shows potential tumor selectivity when assayed in non-tumor human epithelial cells being more selective (1.3-3.8 times) for tumor cells than cisplatin. These results lead us to think that the described synthesis strategy could be useful to generate compounds for the treatment of both cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant cancers.

Preparation of Titanocene-Gold Compounds Based on Highly Active Gold(I)-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Anticancer Agents: Preliminary in vitro Studies in Renal and Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Heterometallic titanocene-based compounds containing gold(I)-phosphane fragments have been extremely successful against renal cancer in vitro and in vivo. The exchange of phosphane by N-heterocyclic carbene ligands to improve or modulate their pharmacological profile afforded bimetallic complexes effective against prostate cancer, but less effective against renal cancer in vitro. Herein we report the synthesis of new bimetallic Ti-Au compounds by the incorporation of two previously reported highly active gold(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene fragments derived from 4,5-diarylimidazoles. The two new compounds [(η5 -C5 H5 )2 TiMe(μ-mba)Au(NHC)] (where NHC=1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-diphenylimidazol-2-ylidene, NHC-Bn 2 a; or 1,3-diethyl-4,5-diphenylimidazol-2-ylidene, NHC-Et 2 b) with the dual linker (-OC(O)-p-C6 H4 -S-) containing both a carboxylate and a thiolate group were evaluated in vitro against renal and prostate cancer cell lines. The compounds were found to be more cytotoxic than previously described Ti-Au compounds containing non-optimized gold(I)-N-heterocyclic fragments. We present studies to evaluate their effects on cell death pathways, migration, inhibition of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the PC3 prostate cancer cell line. The results show that the incorporation of a second metallic fragment such as titanocene into biologically active gold(I) compounds improves their pharmacological profile.

Specific Interactions of Antitumor Metallocenes with Deoxydinucleoside Monophosphates

Bent metallocenes Cp₂MCl₂ (M = Ti, V, Nb, Mo) are known to exhibit cytotoxic activity against a variety of cancer types. Though the mechanism of action is not fully understood yet, the accumulation of the metal ions in the nucleus points towards DNA as one of the primary targets. A set of eight deoxydinucleoside monophosphates was used to study the adduct yields with metallocenes and cisplatin. The binding affinities are reflected by the relative intensities of the adducts and were found to follow the order of Pt > V > Ti > Mo (no adducts were detected with Nb). High-resolution tandem mass spectrometry was applied to locate the binding patterns in the deoxydinucleoside monophosphates. Whereas cisplatin binds to the soft nitrogen atoms in the purine nucleobases, the metallocenes additionally interact with the hard phosphate oxygen, which is in good agreement with the hard and soft (Lewis) acids and bases (HSAB) concept. However, the binding specificities were found to be unique for each metallocene. The hard Lewis acids titanium and vanadium predominantly bind to the deprotonated phosphate oxygen, whereas molybdenum, an intermediate Lewis acid, preferentially interacts with the nucleobases. Nucleobases comprise alternative binding sites for titanium and vanadium, presumably oxygen atoms for the first and nitrogen atoms for the latter. In summary, the intrinsic binding behavior of the different metallodrugs is reflected by the gas-phase dissociation of the adducts. Consequently, MS/MS can provide insights into therapeutically relevant interactions between metallodrugs and their cellular targets. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Expanding the Therapeutic Potential of the Iron Chelator Deferasirox in the Development of Aqueous Stable Ti(IV) Anticancer Complexes

The recent X-ray structure of titanium(IV)-bound human serum transferrin (STf) exhibiting citrate as a synergistic anion reveals a difference in Ti(IV) coordination versus iron(III), the metal endogenously delivered by the protein to cells. This finding enriches our bioinspired drug design strategy for Ti(IV)-based anticancer therapeutics, which applies a family of Fe(III) chelators termed chemical transferrin mimetic (cTfm) ligands to inhibit Fe bioavailability in cancer cells. Deferasirox, a drug used for iron overload disease, is a cTfm ligand that models STf coordination to Fe(III), favoring Fe(III) binding versus Ti(IV). This metal affinity preference drives deferasirox to facilitate the release of cytotoxic Ti(IV) intracellularly in exchange for Fe(III). An aqueous speciation study performed by potentiometric titration from pH 4 to 8 with micromolar levels of Ti(IV) deferasirox at a 1:2 ratio reveals exclusively Ti(deferasirox)2 in solution. The predominant complex at pH 7.4, [Ti(deferasirox)2]2-, exhibits the one of the highest aqueous stabilities observed for a potent cytotoxic Ti(IV) species, demonstrating little dissociation even after 1 month in cell culture media. UV-vis and 1H NMR studies show that the stability is unaffected by the presence of biomolecular Ti(IV) binders such as citrate, STf, and albumin, which have been shown to induce dissociation or regulate cellular uptake and can alter the activity of other antiproliferative Ti(IV) complexes. Kinetic studies on [Ti(deferasirox)2]2- transmetalation with Fe(III) show that a labile Fe(III) source is required to induce this process. The initial step of this process occurs on the time scale of minutes, and equilibrium for the complete transmetalation is reached on a time scale of hours to a day. This work reveals a mechanism to deliver Ti(IV) compounds into cells and trigger Ti(IV) release by a labile Fe(III) species. Cellular studies including other cTfm ligands confirm the Fe(III) depletion mechanism of these compounds and show their ability to induce early and late apoptosis.

A ubiquitous metal, difficult to track: towards an understanding of the regulation of titanium(iv) in humans

Despite the ubiquitous nature of titanium(iv) and several examples of its beneficial behavior in different organisms, the metal remains underappreciated in biology. There is little understanding of how the metal might play an important function in the human body. Nonetheless, a new insight is obtained regarding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the blood speciation of the metal to maintain it in a nontoxic and potentially bioavailable form for use in the body. This review surveys the literature on Ti(iv) application in prosthetics and in the development of anticancer therapeutics to gain an insight into soluble Ti(iv) influx in the body and its long-term impact. The limitation in analytical tools makes it difficult to depict the full picture of how Ti(iv) is transported and distributed throughout the body. An improved understanding of Ti function and its interaction with biomolecules will be helpful in developing future technologies for its imaging in the body.

Enantiopure titanocene complexes--direct evidence for paraptosis in cancer cells

Tolerated by normal tissues, anti-cancer therapies based on titanium compounds are limited by low efficacy/selectivity and lack of understanding of their mode(s) of action. In vitro antitumour activity and mode of cell death incurred by enantiopure TiCl2{η-C5H4CHEt(2-MeOPh)}2 (abbreviated Cp(R)2TiCl2) has been investigated. The in vitro anti-tumour activity of Cp(R)2TiCl2 is selective for cancer cells; in clonogenic assays, (S,S)-Cp(R)2TiCl2 was twice as effective at inhibiting colony formation than other stereoisomers after 24 h exposure. HPLC, MS and NMR techniques determined hydrolysis of Cp(R)2TiCl2; data strongly correlate with soluble [Cp(R)2Ti(OH)(OH2)](+) being the biological trigger. Treatment of cells with Cp(R)2TiCl2 provoked extensive cytoplasmic vacuolization, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) swelling and activation of MAPKinase signal transduction, consistent with ligand-induced paraptosis, type III cell death, which is morphologically distinct from, and independent of apoptosis. Indeed, distinct from cisplatin, Cp(R)2TiCl2 failed to perturb cell cycle dynamics, induce γH2AX foci or evoke apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 and HCT-116 cells.

Insights into molecular mechanism of action of salan titanium(IV) complex with in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity

Titanium compounds, in particular, Ti(IV) based diaminobis(phenolato) "salan" complexes demonstrate high cytotoxicity towards a wide range of cancer cell lines in vitro, and still, very little is known on their mode of action. A representative salan Ti(IV) complex was tested both in vitro and in vivo on human HT-29 colorectal adenocarcinoma and A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells. Both cell lines were sensitive in vitro with A2780 demonstrating an enhanced rate of uptake and intracellular accumulation and thus an earlier response to the drug. HT-29 cells responded in vivo by impaired tumor development in nude mice. Both cell lines responded in vitro (but to a different extent) by upregulation of p53 with no apparent effect on p21 followed by cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and necrosis as demonstrated by sub-G1 cell accumulation and staining by Annexin-V and propidium iodide. Furthermore, time dependent activation of cysteine-aspartic proteases9 (caspase9) as well as some minor activation of cysteine-aspartic proteases3 (caspase3) support a direct effect on the apoptotic pathway. The differential response of the two cell lines to the salan titanium(IV) complex suggests that more than one pathway is involved in their growth regulation and thus could inhibit development of drug resistant variants.

Novel enantiopure cyclopentadienyl Ti(IV) oximato compounds as potential anticancer agents

The synthesis and characterization of new enantiopure cyclopentadienyl titanium oximato compounds (S,R)-[(η(5)-C5H5)Ti{к(2)NO,(R)NH·HCl}Cl2] (R=Ph (phenyl) 1a·HCl, Bn (benzyl) 1b·HCl, 2-pic (2-picolyl) 1c·HCl), (S,R)-[(η(5)-C5H5)TiCl2{к(2)NO,(Ph)NH}] (1a) and (S,R)-[(η(5)-C5H5)2TiCl{к(2)NO,(R)NH}] (R=Ph 2a, Bn 2b, 2-pic 2c), along with studies on their behavior in D2O at different pD values are reported. The structure of previously described ammonium-oxime (2S,5R)-{NOH,(Bn)NH·HCl} (b·HCl) and novel titanium derivative 1a have been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The effect of the compounds on cytotoxicity, cell adhesion and migration of the androgen-independent prostate cancer PC-3 cells has been assessed. Compounds 2b and 2c are more cytotoxic than additive doses of titanocene dichloride and free oxime proligand, probing the synergistic effect of these novel compounds. The cytotoxicity of 2b and 2c has been further evaluated against human renal Caki-1, colon DLD-1 and triple negative breast MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. The activity found for 2c on PC-3 and Caki-1 is higher than that of highly active Titanocene Y (bis-[(p-methoxybenzyl)cyclopentadienyl]titanium(IV) dichloride), while showing selectivity against renal cancer when compared to a non-tumorigenic human renal (HEK-293T) cell line. Compounds 2b and especially 2c are apoptotic in Caki-1 cancer cell lines. Cell adhesion and wound-healing assays confirmed that derivatives 1c·HCl, 2b and 2c affect the adhesion and migration patterns of the PC-3 cell line. Interactions of the novel compounds with plasmid (pBR322) DNA have also been studied, showing that the oximato Ti(IV) derivatives have a weak or no interaction with DNA at physiological pH.

Heterometallic titanium-gold complexes inhibit renal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Following recent work on heterometallic titanocene-gold complexes as potential chemotherapeutics for renal cancer, we report here on the synthesis, characterization and stability studies of new titanocene complexes containing a methyl group and a carboxylate ligand (mba = S-C6H4-COO-) bound to gold(I)-phosphane fragments through a thiolate group ([(η-C5H5)2TiMe(μ-mba)Au(PR3)]. The compounds are more stable in physiological media than those previously reported and are highly cytotoxic against human cancer renal cell lines. We describe here preliminary mechanistic data involving studies on the interaction of selected compounds with plasmid (pBR322) DNA used as a model nucleic acid, and with selected protein kinases from a panel of 35 protein kinases having oncological interest. Preliminary mechanistic studies in Caki-1 renal cells indicate that the cytotoxic and anti-migration effects of the most active compound 5 ([(η-C5H5)2TiMe(μ-mba)Au(PPh3)] involve inhibition of thioredoxin reductase and loss of expression of protein kinases that drive cell migration (AKT, p90-RSK, and MAPKAPK3). The co-localization of both titanium and gold metals (1:1 ratio) in Caki-1 renal cells was demonstrated for 5 indicating the robustness of the heterometallic compound in vitro. Two compounds were selected for further in vivo studies on mice based on their selectivity in vitro against renal cancer cell lines when compared to non-tumorigenic human kidney cell lines (HEK-293T and RPTC) and the favourable preliminary toxicity profile in C57BL/6 mice. Evaluation of Caki-1 xenografts in NOD.CB17-Prkdc SCID/J mice showed an impressive tumor reduction (67%) after treatment for 28 days (3 mg/kg/every other day) with heterometallic compound 5 as compared with the previously described [(η-C5H5)2Ti{OC(O)-4-C6H4-P(Ph2)AuCI}2] 3 which was non-inhibitory. These findings indicate that structural modifications on the ligand scaffold affect the in vivo efficacy of this class of compounds.

Organometallic Titanocene-Gold Compounds as Potential Chemotherapeutics in Renal Cancer. Study of their Protein Kinase Inhibitory Properties

Early-late transition metal TiAu2 compounds [(η-C5H5)2Ti{OC(O)CH2PPh2AuCl}2] (3) and new [(η-C5H5)2Ti{OC(O)-4-C6H4PPh2AuCl}2] (5) were evaluated as potential anticancer agents in vitro against renal and prostate cancer cell lines. The compounds were significantly more effective than monometallic titanocene dichloride and gold(I) [{HOC(O)RPPh2}AuCl] (R = -CH2- 6, -4-C6H4- 7) derivatives in renal cancer cell lines, indicating a synergistic effect of the resulting heterometallic species. The activity on renal cancer cell lines (for 5 in the nanomolar range) was considerably higher than that of cisplatin and highly active titanocene Y. Initial mechanistic studies in Caki-1 cells in vitro coupled with studies of their inhibitory properties on a panel of 35 kinases of oncological interest indicate that these compounds inhibit protein kinases of the AKT and MAPKAPK families with a higher selectivity toward MAPKAPK3 (IC503 = 91 nM, IC505 = 117 nM). The selectivity of the compounds in vitro against renal cancer cell lines when compared to a nontumorigenic human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK-293T) and the favorable preliminary toxicity profile on C57black6 mice indicate that these compounds (especially 5) are excellent candidates for further development as potential renal cancer chemotherapeutics.

Alterations of phosphoproteins in NCI-H526 small cell lung cancer cells involved in cytotoxicity of cisplatin and titanocene Y

First-line treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with combination chemotherapy consisting of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) and etoposide is frequently followed by early relapses and a dismal prognosis. Survival of a fraction of tumor cells and development of chemoresistance may be influenced by an initial cellular stress response against the administered xenobiotics. Therefore, we compared the short-term effects of cisplatin and non-cross-resistant bis-[(p-methoxybenzyl)cyclopentadienyl] titanium(IV) dichloride (Titanocene Y) on phosphorylation of 46 sites of a total of 38 signaling proteins in tumor suppressor protein 53 (p53)-wild-type NCI-H526 SCLC cells. The functional significance of selected kinases for the cytotoxicity of both drugs was tested using specific inhibitors and an activator. The cisplatin-induced cellular stress response involved activation of p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase, whereas Titanocene Y-triggered signaling affected c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1) was increased by both drugs, which promoted cell survival, as indicated by results obtained using AMPK inhibitor compound C and AMPK activator 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-d-ribofuranoside. This is in good agreement with previous reports, where AMPKα1 was demonstrated to represent an important factor for the sensitivity to cisplatin in colon and ovarian cancers, most likely by induction of autophagy. Thus, AMPKα1 constitutes a potential target to be exploited for chemotherapeutic treatment of SCLC to circumvent resistance to metal-based compounds.

Titanocene-phosphine derivatives as precursors to cytotoxic heterometallic TiAu2 and TiM (M = Pd, Pt) compounds. Studies of their interactions with DNA

A series of tri- and bimetallic titanium-gold, titanium-palladium, and titanium-platinum derivatives of the general formulas [Ti{η(5)-C(5)H(4)(CH(2))(n)PPh(2)(AuCl)}(2)]·2THF [n = 0 (1); n = 2 (2); n = 3 (3)] and [TiCl(2){η(5)-C(5)H(4)κ-(CH(2))(n)PPh(2)}(2)(MCl(2))]·2THF [M = Pd, n = 0 (4); n = 2 (5); n = 3 (6) ; M = Pt, n = 0 (7); n = 2 (8); n = 3 (9)] have been synthesized and characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of compounds 1-9 have been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. The calculated IR spectra of the optimized structures fit well with the experimental IR data obtained for 1-9. The stability of the heterometallic compounds in deuterated solvents [CDCl(3), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-d(6), and mixtures 50:50 DMSO-d(6)/D(2)O and 1:99 DMSO-d(6)/D(2)O at acidic and neutral pH] has been evaluated by (31)P and (1)H NMR spectroscopy showing a higher stability for these compounds than for Cp(2)TiCl(2) or precursors [Ti{η(5)-C(5)H(4)(CH(2))(n)PPh(2)}(2)]. The new compounds display a lower acidity (1-2 units) than Cp(2)TiCl(2). The decomposition products have been identified over time. Complexes 1-9 have been tested as potential anticancer agents, and their cytotoxicity properties were evaluated in vitro against HeLa human cervical carcinoma and DU-145 human prostate cancer cells. TiAu(2) and TiPd compounds were highly cytotoxic for these two cell lines. The interactions of the compounds with calf thymus DNA have been evaluated by thermal denaturation (1-9) and by circular dichroism (1, 3, 4, and 7) spectroscopic methods. All of these complexes show a stronger interaction with DNA than that displayed by Cp(2)TiCl(2) at neutral pH. The data are consistent with electrostatic interactions with DNA for TiAu(2) compounds and for a covalent binding mode for TiM (M = Pd, Pt) complexes.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of titanocene C analogues

From the carbolithiation of 6-N,N-dimethylamino fulvene (3) and 2,4[bis(N,N-dimethylamino)methyl]-N-methylpyrrolyl lithium (2a), N-(N′,N′-dimethylaminomethyl)benzimidazolyl lithium (2b), or p-(N,N-dimethylamino)methylphenyl lithium (2c), the corresponding lithium cyclopentadienide intermediate (4a–c) was formed. These three lithiated intermediates underwent a transmetallation reaction with TiCl_4' resulting in N,N-dimethylamino-functionalised titanocenes 5a–c. When these titanocenes were tested against a pig kidney epithelial cell line (LLC-PK), the IC50 values obtained were of 23, and 52  μM for titanocenes 5a and 5b, respectively. The most cytotoxic titanocene in this paper, 5c with an IC50 value of 13 μM, was found to be approximately two times less cytotoxic than its analogue Titanocene C (IC50=5.5  μM) and almost four times less cytotoxic than cisplatin, which showed an IC50 value of 3.3 μM when tested on the LLC-PK cell line.

Effects of titanocene dichloride derivatives on prostate cancer cells, specifically DNA damage-induced apoptosis

BACKGROUND

While locally advanced prostate cancer is initially treatable with androgen ablation, eventually cells develop a castrate-resistant phenotype. Currently, there are no effective treatments for this form of the disease with Docetaxel only providing a small survival advantage. In this study, the effects of novel derivatives of titanocene dichloride on prostate cancer cell lines has been investigated.

METHODS

Cellular effects were assessed using the crystal violet assay and the clonogenic survival assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by propidium iodide staining. DNA damage was analyzed by comet assay and Western analysis. DNA damage response inhibition was achieved by pre-incubation with an ATM/ATR inhibitor; CGK733 and DNA-PK inhibitor; DMNB.

RESULTS

These analogs caused a reduction in cell number. In particular titanocene Y and C had significant effects in all cell lines. A reduction in clonogenic survival was found in response to titanocene Y in three cell lines while the PC-3 cells exhibited increased resistance.Further analysis showed no effect on cell cycle however, the analogs were found to induce apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in all cell lines. These analogs associate with DNA, induce DNA damage and a differential damage response. Inhibition of key regulators of this DNA damage response sensitized the PC-3 cell line to titanocene-induced apoptosis and significantly reduced the clonogenic capacity of the cells.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate the mechanism of action of these novel titanocene dichloride analogs and their potential use in castrate-independent advanced prostate cancer.

Medicinal organometallic chemistry: designing metal arene complexes as anticancer agents

The field of medicinal inorganic chemistry is rapidly advancing. In particular organometallic complexes have much potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents. The carbon-bound and other ligands allow the thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity of the metal ion to be controlled and also provide a scaffold for functionalization. The establishment of structure-activity relationships and elucidation of the speciation of complexes under conditions relevant to drug testing and formulation are crucial for the further development of promising medicinal applications of organometallic complexes. Specific examples involving the design of ruthenium and osmium arene complexes as anticancer agents are discussed.

Structure-activity studies of Ti(IV) complexes: aqueous stability and cytotoxic properties in colon cancer HT-29 cells

As part of our research efforts in the area of titanium-based antitumor agents, we have investigated the cytotoxic activity of [Ti(4)(maltolato)(8)(mu-O)(4)], (Cp-R)(2)TiCl(2) and (Cp-R)CpTiCl(2) (R = CO(2)CH(3) and CO(2)CH(2)CH(3)), and three water-soluble titanocene-amino acid complexes-[Cp(2)Ti(aa)(2)]Cl(2) (aa = L: -cysteine, L: -methionine, and D: -penicillamine)-on the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, HT-29. The capacity of [Ti(4)(maltolato)(8)(mu-O)(4)] to donate Ti(IV) to human apo-transferrin and its hydrolytic stability have been investigated and compared to the previously reported data on modified titanocenes with either hydrophilic ancillary ligands or the functionalized cyclopentadienyl ligands. Notably, the titanium-maltolato complex does not transfer Ti(VI) to human apo-transferrin at any time within the first seven days of its interaction, demonstrating the inert character of this species. Stability studies on these complexes have shown that titanocene complexes decompose at physiological pH while the [Ti(4)(maltolato)(8)(mu-O)(4)] complex is stable at this pH without any notable decomposition for a period of ten days. The antitumor activity of these complexes against colon cancer HT-29 cells was determined using an MTT cell viability assay at 72 and 96 h. The titanocene-amino acid and the (Cp-R)(2)TiCl(2)/(Cp-R)CpTiCl(2) (R = CO(2)CH(3)) complexes were not biologically active when human transferrin was absent; they also were inactive when human transferrin was present at dose-equivalent concentrations. (Cp-R)(2)TiCl(2) and (Cp-R)CpTiCl(2) (R = CO(2)CH(2)CH(3)) showed cytotoxic activity in HT-29 cells comparable to that which is displayed by titanocene dichloride. The titanium-maltolato complex had higher levels of cytotoxic activity than any other titanocene complex investigated. Transferrin may be important in protecting the titanium center from hydrolysis, but this may be achieved by selecting ligands that could result in hydrolytically stable, yet active, complexes.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of new dimethylamino-functionalised and aryl-substituted titanocene anti-cancer agents

From the carbolithiation of 6-N,N-dimethylamino fulvene (3a) and different lithiated aryl species [p-N,N-dimethylanilinyl lithium, p-anisyl lithium and 4-lithio-benzo[1.3]dioxole (2a-c)], the corresponding lithium cyclopentadienide intermediates 4a-c were formed. These three lithiated intermediates underwent a transmetallation reaction with TiCl4 resulting in dimethylamino-functionalised and aryl-substituted titanocenes 5a-c. When these titanocenes were tested against LLC-PK cells, the IC50 values obtained were of 54, 45 and 26microM for titanocenes 5a, b and c, respectively. The most cytotoxic titanocene in this paper, 5c is approximately 10 times less cytotoxic than cis-platin, which showed an IC50 value of 3.3microM, when tested on the LLC-PK cell line, but approximately 100 times better than titanocene dichloride.

Substituted titanocenes induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in human epidermoid carcinoma cells in vitro and exhibit antitumour activity in vivo

Titanocene compounds are a novel series of agents that exhibit cytotoxic effects in a variety of human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the antiproliferative activity of two titanocenes (Titanocenes X and Y) was evaluated in human epidermoid cancer cells in vitro. Titanocenes X and Y induce apoptotic cell death in epidermoid cancer cells, with IC50 values that are comparable to cisplatin. Characterisation of the cell death pathway induced by titanocene compounds in A431 cells revealed that apoptosis is preceded by cell cycle arrest and the inhibition of cell proliferation. The induction of apoptosis is dependent on the activation of caspase-3 and -7 but not caspase-8. Furthermore, the antitumour activity of Titanocene Y was tested in an A431 xenograft model of epidermoid cancer. Results indicate that Titanocene Y significantly reduced the growth of A431 xenografts with an antitumour effect similar to cisplatin. These results suggest that titanocenes represent a novel series of promising antitumour agents.

Synthesis, Molecular Structure (X-ray and DFT), and Solution Behavior of Titanium 4-Acyl-5-pyrazolonates. Correlations with Related Antitumor β-Diketonato Derivatives

Previously reported structure-activity relationships have shown two features for effective antitumor activity of titanium beta-diketone complexes: (a) ligand asymmetry and (b) the presence of planar substitutents on the ligand. Mono- and dinuclear derivatives, studied with diffraction and DFT methods show that (a) is consistent with different Ti-O(beta-diketonato) bond lengths, which are longer than Ti-O(oxo) and Ti-O(alkoxy) ones. pi-pi features observed in dinuclear derivatives correlate with strong reactivity of related complexes with DNA and support DNA intercalation by such planar groups, in agreement with (b). Large variation for Ti-O bond lengths and Ti-O-C bond angles in the ethoxy moiety is associated with the titanium withdrawing effect and oxygen bonding s character; it is confirmed through exploration of the Cambridge crystallographic database. This ethoxy geometrical flexibility also suggests versatile accommodation in protein pockets and/or other biological targets. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) spectra show formation of di- and trinuclear Ti-4-acyl-5-pyrazolonato cationic oligomers. Hydrolysis/oligomerization is also described by NMR results.

Novel achiral titanocene anti-cancer drugs synthesised from bis-N,N-dimethylamino fulvene and lithiated heterocyclic compounds

From the carbolithiation of 6-bis-N,N-dimethylamino fulvene (3a) and different ortho-lithiated heterocycles (furan, thiophene and N-methylpyrrole), the corresponding lithium cyclopentadienide intermediate (4a-c) was formed. These three lithiated intermediates underwent a transmetallation reaction with TiCl(4) resulting in bis-N,N-dimethylamino-functionalised titanocenes 5a-c. When these titanocenes were tested against LLC-PK cells, the IC(50)-values obtained were of 240, and 270 microM for titanocenes 5b and 5c, respectively. The most cytotoxic titanocene in this paper, 5a with an IC(50)-value of 36 microM was found to be approximately six times less cytotoxic than its mono-N,N-dimethylamino substituted analogue Titanocene C (IC(50) = 5.5 microM) and almost ten times less cytotoxic than cisplatin, which showed an IC(50)-value of 3.3 microM, when tested on the LLC-PK cell line.