Lewis Acid Behavior of Cationic Complexes of Palladium(II) and Platinum(II): Some Examples of Catalytic Applications

The behavior of a variety of cationic diphosphine complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) as Lewis acid catalysts is reviewed. The reactions considered are the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of ketones, the acetalization of aldehydes and ketones and the Diels–Alder reaction in both their regular and enantioselective version.     

脲基苯乙炔4-′(对甲基苯基)-6-苯基-2,2′-二联吡啶铂(II)络合物的合成

本文通过异氰酸酰化反应合成了含有脲基的苯乙炔新型配体及以它作为辅助配体的4′-(对甲基苯基)-6-苯基-2,2′-二联吡啶铂(II)络合物,初步研究了铂(II)络合物的光物理性质,发现由于脲基的存在,当浓度大于3.32×10-5mol/L时铂(II)络合物能够发生分子间簇集.     

抗肿瘤潜在药物―酰肼类铂配合物合成路线简介

介绍了包括苯磺酰肼和苯甲酰肼等酰肼类铂配合物的一些合成方法,并对其中一些物质所具有的潜在生物活性作了简单评价。     

Light Triggers the Antiproliferative Activity of Naphthalimide-Conjugated (η6-arene)ruthenium(II) Complexes

We report the synthesis and characterization of three half-sandwich Ru(II) arene complexes [(η⁶-arene)Ru(N,N′)L][PF₆]₂ containing arene = p-cymene, N,N′ = bipyridine, and L = pyridine meta- with methylenenaphthalimide (C1), methylene(nitro)naphthalimide (C2), or methylene(piperidinyl)naphthalimide (C3). The naphthalimide acts as an antenna for photoactivation. After 3 h of irradiation with blue light, the monodentate pyridyl ligand had almost completely dissociated from complex C3, which contains an electron donor on the naphthalimide ring, whereas only 50% dissociation was observed for C1 and C2. This correlates with the lower wavelength and strong absorption of C3 in this region of the spectrum (λ_max = 418 nm) compared with C1 and C2 (λ_max = 324 and 323 nm, respectively). All the complexes were relatively non-toxic towards A549 human lung cancer cells in the dark, but only complex C3 exhibited good photocytoxicity towards these cancer cells upon irradiation with blue light (IC₅₀ = 10.55 ± 0.30 μM). Complex C3 has the potential for use in photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT).     

Methyl 6‐Amino‐6‐deoxy‐d‐pyranoside‐Conjugated Platinum(II) Complexes for Glucose Transporter (GLUT)‐Mediated Tumor Targeting: Synthesis,Cytotoxicity, and Cellular Uptake Mechanism

Methyl 6‐aminodeoxy‐d ‐pyranoside‐derived platinum(II) glycoconjugates were designed and synthesized based on the clinical drug oxaliplatin for glucose transporter (GLUT)‐mediated tumor targeting. In addition to a substantial improvement in water solubility, the conjugates exhibited cytotoxicity similar to or higher than that of oxaliplatin in six different human cancer cell lines. GLUT‐mediated transport of the complexes was investigated with a cell‐based fluorescence competition assay and GLUT‐inhibitor‐mediated cytotoxicity analysis in a GLUT‐overexpressing human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT29) cell line. The antitumor effect of the aminodeoxypyranoside‐conjugated platinum(II) complexes was found to depend significantly on the GLUT inhibitor, and the cellular uptake of the molecules was regulated by GLUT‐mediated transport. The results from this study demonstrate the potential advantages of aminodeoxypyranosides as sugar motifs for glycoconjugation for Warburg‐effect‐targeted drug design. These fundamental results also support the potential of aminodeoxypyranoside‐conjugated platinum(II) complexes as lead compounds for further preclinical evaluation.     

二苯氨基修饰的阳离子型环金属铂(II)配合物的合成及性能

以1,10-邻菲罗啉为辅助配体，设计合成了三个二苯氨基修饰的阳离子型环金属铂(II)配合物Ⅰ-Ⅲ。系统研究了配合物的光物理、电化学及氧传感性能。结果表明，在2-(4-二苯氨基)苯基吡啶的吡啶环的5位引入不同基团，可实现铂(II)配合物的发光波长在544 nm - 583 nm之间调控。其中，在吡啶环的5位引入三氟甲基的配合物Ⅲ的最大发射波长为583 nm。氧传感性能测试结果表明，在吡啶环的5位引入三氟甲基的配合物Ⅲ的氧敏感性能显著提升，其在DMF溶液中的I0/I2.17值为6.4。     

Aβ-Targeting Bifunctional Chelators (BFCs) for Potential Therapeutic and PET Imaging Applications

Currently, more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease resulting in personality changes, cognitive impairment, memory loss, and physical disability. Diagnosis of AD is often missed or delayed in clinical practice due to the fact that cognitive deterioration occurs already in the later stages of the disease. Thus, methods to improve early detection would provide opportunities for early treatment of disease. All FDA-approved PET imaging agents for Aβ plaques use short-lived radioisotopes such as ¹¹C (t_1/2 = 20.4 min) and ¹⁸F (t_1/2 = 109.8 min), which limit their widespread use. Thus, a novel metal-based imaging agent for visualization of Aβ plaques is of interest, due to the simplicity of its synthesis and the longer lifetimes of its constituent isotopes. We have previously summarized a metal-containing drug for positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of Alzheimer’s disease. In this review, we have summarized a recent advance in design of Aβ-targeting bifunctional chelators for potential therapeutic and PET imaging applications, reported after our previous review.     

Mechanism of Anticancer Action of Novel Imidazole Platinum(II) Complex Conjugated with G2 PAMAM-OH Dendrimer in Breast Cancer Cells

Transition metal coordination compounds play an important role in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. However, due to their low selectivity and bioavailability, as well as the frequently occurring phenomenon of drug resistance, new chemical compounds that could overcome these phenomena are still being sought. The solution seems to be the synthesis of new metal complexes conjugated with drug carriers, e.g., dendrimers. Numerous literature data have shown that dendrimers improve the bioavailability of the obtained metal complexes, solving the problem of their poor solubility and stability in an aqueous environment and also breaking down inborn and acquired drug resistance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to synthesize a novel imidazole platinum(II) complex conjugated with and without the second-generation PAMAM dendrimer (PtMet2–PAMAM and PtMet2, respectively) and to evaluate its antitumor activity. Cell viability studies indicated that PtMet2–PAMAM exhibited higher cytotoxic activity than PtMet2 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells at relatively low concentrations. Moreover, our results indicated that PtMet2–PAMAM exerted antiproliferative effects in a zebrafish embryo model. Treatment with PtMet2–PAMAM substantially increased apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner via caspase-9 (intrinsic pathway) and caspase-8 (extrinsic pathway) activation along with pro-apoptotic protein expression modulation. Additionally, we showed that apoptosis can be induced by activating POX, which induces ROS production. Furthermore, our results also clearly showed that the tested compounds trigger autophagy through p38 pathway activation and increase Beclin-1, LC3, AMPK, and mTOR inhibition. The high pro-apoptotic activity and the ability to activate autophagy by the imidazole platinum(II) complex conjugated with a dendrimer may be due to its demonstrated ability to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) and thereby increase cellular accumulation in breast cancer cells.     

A Novel Cu(II)-Binding Peptide Identified by Phage Display Inhibits Cu2+-Mediated Aβ Aggregation

Copper (Cu) has been implicated in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and aggregation of Cu and amyloid β peptide (Aβ) are considered key pathological features of AD. Metal chelators are considered to be potential therapeutic agents for AD because of their capacity to reduce metal ion-induced Aβ aggregation through the regulation of metal ion distribution. Here, we used phage display technology to screen, synthesize, and evaluate a novel Cu(II)-binding peptide that specifically blocked Cu-triggered Aβ aggregation. The Cu(II)-binding peptide (S-A-Q-I-A-P-H, PCu) identified from the phage display heptapeptide library was used to explore the mechanism of PCu inhibition of Cu²⁺-mediated Aβ aggregation and Aβ production. In vitro experiments revealed that PCu directly inhibited Cu²⁺-mediated Aβ aggregation and regulated copper levels to reduce biological toxicity. Furthermore, PCu reduced the production of Aβ by inhibiting Cu²⁺-induced BACE1 expression and improving Cu(II)-mediated cell oxidative damage. Cell culture experiments further demonstrated that PCu had relatively low toxicity. This Cu(II)-binding peptide that we have identified using phage display technology provides a potential therapeutic approach to prevent or treat AD.     

Factors Affecting the Stability of Platinum(II) Complexes with 1,2,4-Triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine Derivatives and Tetrahydrothiophene-1-Oxide or Diphenyl Sulfoxide

The platinum(II) complexes of general formula [PtCl₂(dstp)(S-donor)] were dstp 5,7-dimethyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]-pyrimidine (dmtp), 5,7-ditertbutyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (dbtp), 5-methyl-7-isobutyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (ibmtp) or 5,7-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (dptp), whereas S-tetrahydrothio-phene-1-oxide (TMSO) or diphenyl sulfoxide (DPSO) were synthesized in a one-pot reaction. Here, we present experimental data (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR, IR, X-ray) combined with density functional theory (DFT) computations to support and characterize structure–spectra relationships and determine the geometry of dichloride platinum(II) complexes with selected triazolopyrimidines and sulfoxides. Based on the experimental and theoretical data, factors affecting the stability of platinum(II) complexes have been determined.     

New Platinum(II) Triazole Thiosemicarbazone Complexes: Analysis of Their Reactivity and Potential Antitumoral Action

The synthesis and characterization of three new platinum complexes, with 3,5-diacetyl-1,2,4-triazole bis(4-N-isopropylthiosemicarbazone) as a ligand, are reported. The specific conditions under which solvent coordination takes place are reported and the X-ray structure of the complex with one solvent molecule of dimethyl sulfoxide is resolved. Analysis of the reactivity of these platinum compounds aids in finding the best solution profile for biological investigations. Then, the interactions of the complexes with biological models, such as calf-thymus DNA, are studied by using UV spectroscopy and tracking the changes in electrophoretic mobility produced in the supercoiled plasmid DNA model. Initial screening of these potential antitumoral compounds indicates possible selective antitumoral action.     

Modulation of Amyloid‐β Aggregation by Histidine‐Coordinating Cobalt(III) Schiff Base Complexes

Oligomers of the Aβ42 peptide are significant neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Histidine (His) residues present at the N terminus of Aβ42 are believed to influence toxicity by either serving as metal–ion binding sites (which promote oligomerization and oxidative damage) or facilitating synaptic binding. Transition metal complexes that bind to these residues and modulate Aβ toxicity have emerged as therapeutic candidates. Cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes (Co–sb) were evaluated for their ability to interact with Aβ peptides. HPLC‐MS, NMR, fluorescence, and DFT studies demonstrated that Co–sb complexes could interact with the His residues in a truncated Aβ16 peptide representing the Aβ42 N terminus. Coordination of Co–sb complexes altered the structure of Aβ42 peptides and promoted the formation of large soluble oligomers. Interestingly, this structural perturbation of Aβ correlated to reduced synaptic binding to hippocampal neurons. These results demonstrate the promise of Co–sb complexes in anti‐AD therapeutic approaches.     

Palladium(II)‐Catalyzed Hydration of Alkynylphosphonates to β‐Ketophosphonates

A highly efficient palladium(II)‐catalyzed hydration of a wide range of alkynylphosphonates to the corresponding β‐ketophosphonates has been developed to give high yields at 80 °C in 1, 4‐dioxane, with no acidic or alkaline cocatalysts required. The described catalytic system should provide an efficient alternative to highly toxic mercury‐catalyzed methodologies and be useful in synthetic programs.     

Reduction of nitroaromatics with poly(vinylpyridine) complexes of palladium(II) and platinum(II)

Palladium(II) and platinum(II) anchored to 2- and 4-vinylpyridine polymers of different molecular weights were used for the dihydrogen reduction of various nitroaromatics and benzaldehyde in ethanol at 50°C. Palladium(II) complexes were far more effective than their platinum(II) analogues and the activity decreased with increasing molecular weights of the polymers. The nitroaromatics were selectively and almost completely reduced to the corresponding anilines. During reduction, the orange palladium(II) complexes changed to voluminous green precipitates, which could be used repeatedly and preserved for a long time without any loss of activity. A rate equation of the type: rate = K[Cat] [H₂] has been derived and a reduction mechanism has been proposed on the basis of experimental results and kinetic data.     

Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed Protocol for Preparation of Diverse α,β‐ and β,β‐Dihaloenones from Diazodicarbonyls

Efficient one‐step syntheses of α,β‐ and β,β‐dihaloenones were achieved by ruthenium(II)‐catalyzed reactions between cyclic or acyclic diazodicarbonyl compounds and oxalyl chloride or oxalyl bromide in moderate to good yields. This methodology offers several significant advantages, which include ease of handling, mild reaction conditions, one‐step reaction, and the use of an effective and non‐toxic catalyst. The synthesized compounds were further transformed into highly functionalized novel molecules bearing aromatic rings on the enone moiety using the Suzuki reaction.

     

Herceptin-platinum(II) binding complexes: novel cancer-cell-specific agents

We report a new series of Herceptin-platinum(II) binding complexes, Her-nLPt(II) (Her denotes Herceptin; L denotes diamino ligands and L=L1-L4; n=1, 5, or 10). Solution chemistry studies have shown that these complexes are stable under physiological conditions (pH 7.4 in PBS). The platinum(II) compound L1Pt(II)Cl(2) inhibits the growth of a panel of human cancer cell lines at sub-micromolar concentrations. Remarkable cancer-cell-specific cytotoxicity was observed with Her-nL1Pt(II) (n=1, 5, 10) toward Her2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells (SK-BR-3 and SK-OV-3) over normal fibroblast cells. Annexin V apoptosis assays in SK-BR-3 and low-Her2/neu-expressing MCF-7 breast cancer cells further confirmed the critical role of Herceptin with this cancer-cell-specific agent. It was also found that the L1Pt(II)Cl(2) complex is an efficient regulator of the apoptotic genes Bcl-2 in the treated SK-BR-3 cells. Also, enhanced regulatory effects were observed in Her-10L1Pt(II). Taken together, this study suggests a new approach for the development of mAb-platinum(II)-based targeting agents for the treatment of human cancers.     

Ir(III) and Ru(II) Complexes in Photoredox Catalysis and Photodynamic Therapy: A New Paradigm towards Anticancer Applications

Individually, photoredox catalysis (PC) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are well-established concepts that have experienced a remarkable resurgence in recent years, leading to significant progress in organic synthesis for PC and clinical approval of anticancer drugs for PDT. But, very recently, new photoredox catalyst systems based on Ir(III) and Ru(II) complexes have garnered significant interest because they can simultaneously be used as PDT agents apart from their demonstrated PC activity. This highlight discusses the unique PC behavior of emerging Ir(III)- and Ru(II)-based systems while also examining their potential PDT activity in cancer treatment.     

Highly Cytotoxic Osmium(II) Compounds and Their Ruthenium(II) Analogues Targeting Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Lines and Evading Cisplatin Resistance Mechanisms

(1) Background: Ruthenium and osmium complexes attract increasing interest as next generation anticancer drugs. Focusing on structure-activity-relationships of this class of compounds, we report on 17 different ruthenium(II) complexes and four promising osmium(II) analogues with cinnamic acid derivatives as O,S bidentate ligands. The aim of this study was to determine the anticancer activity and the ability to evade platin resistance mechanisms for these compounds. (2) Methods: Structural characterizations and stability determinations have been carried out with standard techniques, including NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. All complexes and single ligands have been tested for cytotoxic activity on two ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780, SKOV3) and their cisplatin-resistant isogenic cell cultures, a lung carcinoma cell line (A549) as well as selected compounds on three non-cancerous cell cultures in vitro. FACS analyses and histone γH2AX staining were carried out for cell cycle distribution and cell death or DNA damage analyses, respectively. (3) Results: IC50 values show promising results, specifically a high cancer selective cytotoxicity and evasion of resistance mechanisms for Ru(II) and Os(II) compounds. Histone γH2AX foci and FACS experiments validated the high cytotoxicity but revealed diminished DNA damage-inducing activity and an absence of cell cycle disturbance thus pointing to another mode of action. (4) Conclusion: Ru(II) and Os(II) compounds with O,S-bidentate ligands show high cytotoxicity without strong effects on DNA damage and cell cycle, and this seems to be the basis to circumvent resistance mechanisms and for the high cancer cell specificity.     

Fluorination-controlled Aggregation and Intermolecular Interactions in Pt(II) Complexes with Tetradentate Luminophores

In this work we describe the synthesis and DFT-supported photophysical characterization of a series of Pt(II) complexes bearing tetradentate luminophores with increasing degree of fluorination. Aggregation into crystalline phases leads to substitution-dependent arrangements that in all cases hinder intermetallic coupling, as intermolecular interactions are dominated by hydrogen bonding and π-stacking. In amorphous matrices, on the other hand, we observed that an increasing level of fluorination favors the tendency towards Pt−Pt interaction upon aggregation, leading to a red-shifted phosphorescence, if compared with monomeric species in dilute solutions and crystalline solids.