Marika Marinelli

Synthesis and biological activity of ester- and amide-functionalized imidazolium salts and related water-soluble coinage metal N-heterocyclic carbene complexes.

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.

Recent Advances in Medicinal Applications of Coinage-Metal (Cu and Ag) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes

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.

New insights in Au-NHCs complexes as anticancer agents

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.