ABSTRACT
Within the research field of antitumor metal-based agents alternative to platinum drugs, gold(I/III) coordination complexes have always been in the forefront due mainly to the familiarity of medicinal chemists with gold compounds, whose application in medicine goes back in the ancient times, and to the rich chemistry shown by this metal. In the last decade, N-heterocyclic carbene ligands (NHC), a class of ligands that largely resembles the chemical properties of phosphines, became of interest for gold(I) medicinal applications, and since then, the research on NHC-gold(I/III) coordination complexes as potential antiproliferative agents boosted dramatically. Different classes of gold(I/III)-NHC complexes often showed an outstanding in vitro antiproliferative activity, however up to now very few in vivo data have been reported to corroborate the in vitro results. This review summarizes all achievements in the field of gold (I/III) complexes comprising NHC ligands proposed as potential antiproliferative agents in the period 2004-2016, and critically analyses biological data (mainly IC50 values) in relation to the chemical structures of Au compounds. The state of art of the in vivo studies so far described is also reported.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Gold/pharmacology , Heterocyclic Compounds/pharmacology , Methane/analogs & derivatives , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Gold/chemistry , Heterocyclic Compounds/chemistry , Humans , Methane/chemistry , Methane/pharmacology , Molecular Structure , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
The fascinating chemical properties of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes showed them to be a suitable class of complexes to be investigated for their applications as drugs in the treatment of the infectious disease or cancer. In particular, the great structural versatility provided a library of compounds with a low cytotoxic profile, suitable candidates as new anticancer agents. Most of these complexes have shown higher cytotoxicity than cisplatin. In the present review, the medicinal applications of copper(I)- and silver(I)-NHC complexes are summarized. Specifically, azolium precursors and related Cu(I)- and Ag(I)-NHC complexes of functionalized and non-functionalized imidazole-, and benzimidazole-based NHC complexes studied as an alternative to cisplatin as chemotherapeutic agents are reviewed. An outline of the most significant chemical features is presented: copper(I)- and silver(I)-NHC complexes tested as anticancer drugs have been reported and a description of structure-activity relationships was made as far as possible.
Subject(s)
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical , Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Copper/chemistry , Heterocyclic Compounds/chemistry , Methane/analogs & derivatives , Silver/chemistry , Methane/chemistryABSTRACT
The novel N-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursor NaHIm(PrSO3) (sodium 3,3'-(1H-imidazole-3-ium-1,3-diyl)dipropane-1-sulfonate) and the related silver carbene complex [Na4(Im(PrSO3))2]AgCl have been synthesized and characterized. Recrystallization of the analogous [Im(AcEt)]AgCl complex allowed the development of X-ray analysis which led to achieve relevant structural information concerning this silver(I) derivative. Both sulfonate- and ester-functionalized silver(I) N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities in a wide panel of human cancer cells. Complex [Na4(Im(PrSO3))2]AgCl showed a significant in vitro antiproliferative activity that was correlated with its strong ability to inhibit thioredoxin reductase. The inhibition of this selenoenzyme determined an alteration of the cellular redox environment thus leading to the induction of the apoptotic cell death through the activation of the ASK-1 pathway.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring , Methane/analogs & derivatives , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Silver , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Cell Line, Tumor , Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring/chemical synthesis , Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring/chemistry , Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring/pharmacology , Humans , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5/metabolism , Methane/chemical synthesis , Methane/chemistry , Methane/pharmacology , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , Neoplasms/metabolism , Neoplasms/pathology , Oxidation-Reduction/drug effects , Selenoproteins/metabolism , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Silver/chemistry , Silver/pharmacology , Solubility , Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase/metabolism , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand precursors, namely, HIm(A)Cl [1,3-bis(2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride] and HIm(B)Cl {1,3-bis[2-(diethylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride}, functionalized with hydrophilic groups on the imidazole rings have been synthesized and were used in the synthesis of corresponding carbene complexes of silver(I) and copper(I), {[Im(A)]AgCl}, {[Im(A)]CuCl}, and {[Im(B)](2)Ag}Cl. Related Au(I)NHC complexes {[Im(A)]AuCl} and {[Im(B)]AuCl} have been obtained by transmetalation using the silver carbene precursor. These compounds were characterized by several spectroscopic techniques including NMR and mass spectroscopy. HIm(B)Cl and the gold(I) complexes {[Im(A)]AuCl} and {[Im(B)]AuCl} were also characterized by X-ray crystallography. The cytotoxic properties of the NHC complexes have been assessed in various human cancer cell lines, including cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant cells. The silver(I) complex {[Im(B)](2)Ag}Cl was found to be the most active, with IC(50) values about 2-fold lower than those achieved with cisplatin in C13*-resistant cells. Growth-inhibitory effects evaluated in human nontransformed cells revealed a preferential cytotoxicity of {[Im(B)](2)Ag}Cl versus neoplastic cells. Gold(I) and silver(I) carbene complexes were also evaluated for their ability to in vitro inhibit the enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). The results of this investigation showing that TrxR appeared markedly inhibited by both gold(I) and silver(I) derivatives at nanomolar concentrations clearly point out this selenoenzyme as a protein target for silver(I) in addition to gold(I) complexes.
