Maura Pellei

Copper Complexes as Anticancer Agents

Metal-based antitumor drugs play a relevant role in antiblastic chemotherapy. Cisplatin is regarded as one of the most effective drugs, even if severe toxicities and drug resistance phenomena limit its clinical use. Therefore, in recent years there has been a rapid expansion in research and development of novel metal-based anticancer drugs to improve clinical effectiveness, to reduce general toxicity and to broaden the spectrum of activity. The variety of metal ion functions in biology has stimulated the development of new metallodrugs other than Pt drugs with the aim to obtain compounds acting via alternative mechanisms of action. Among non-Pt compounds, copper complexes are potentially attractive as anticancer agents. Actually, since many years a lot of researches have actively investigated copper compounds based on the assumption proposal that endogenous metals may be less toxic. It has been established that the properties of copper-coordinated compounds are largely determined by the nature of ligands and donor atoms bound to the metal ion. In this review, the most remarkable achievements in the design and development of copper(I, II) complexes as antitumor agents are discussed. Special emphasis has been focused on the identification of structure-activity relationships for the different classes of copper(I,II) complexes. This work was motivated by the observation that no comprehensive surveys of copper complexes as anticancer agents were available in the literature. Moreover, up to now, despite the enormous efforts in synthesizing different classes of copper complexes, very few data concerning the molecular basis of the mechanisms underlying their antitumor activity are available. This overview, collecting the most significant strategies adopted in the last ten years to design promising anticancer copper(I,II) compounds, would be a help to the researchers working in this field.

Copper in Diseases and Treatments, and Copper-based Anticancer Strategies

Copper is found in all living organisms and is a crucial trace element in redox chemistry, growth and development. It is important for the function of several enzymes and proteins involved in energy metabolism, respiration, and DNA synthesis, notably cytochrome oxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate oxidase, and tyrosinase. The major functions of copper—biological molecules involve oxidation–reduction reactions in which they react directly with molecular oxygen to produce free radicals. Therefore, copper requires tightly regulated homeostatic mechanisms to ensure adequate supplies without any toxic effects. Overload or deficiency of copper is associated, respectively, with Wilson disease (WD) and Menkes disease (MD), which are of genetic origin. Researches on Menkes and Wilson disorders have provided useful insights in the field of copper homeostasis and in particular into the understanding of intracellular trafficking and distribution of copper at molecular levels. Therapies based on metal supplementation with copper histidine or removal of copper excess by means of specific copper chelators are currently effective in treating MD and WD, respectively. Copper chelation therapy is now attracting much attention for the investigation and treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and CreutzfeldtJakob. An excess of copper appears to be an essential co‐factor for angiogenesis. Moreover, elevated levels of copper have been found in many types of human cancers, including prostate, breast, colon, lung, and brain. On these basis, the employment of copper chelators has been reported to be of therapeutic value in the treatment of several types of cancers as anti‐angiogenic molecules. More recently, mixtures of copper chelators with copper salts have been found to act as efficient proteasome inhibitors and apoptosis inducers, specifically in cancer cells. Moreover, following the worldwide success of platinum(II) compounds in cancer chemotherapy, several families of individual copper complexes have been studied as potential antitumor agents. These investigations, revealing the occurrence of mechanisms of action quite different from platinum drugs, head toward the development of new anticancer metallodrugs with improved specificity and decreased toxic side effects.

In vitro antitumor activity of the water soluble copper(I) complexes bearing the tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine ligand.

Monocationic hydrophilic complexes [Cu(thp)4](+) 3 and [Cu(bhpe)2](+) 4 were synthesized by ligand exchange reactions starting from the labile [Cu(CH3CN)4][PF6] precursor in the presence of an excess of the relevant hydrophilic phosphine. Complexes 3 and 4 were tested against a panel of several human tumor cell lines. Complex 3 has been shown to be about 1 order of magnitude more cytotoxic than cisplatin. Chemosensitivity tests performed on cisplatin and multidrug resistance phenotypes suggested that complex 3 acts via a different mechanism of action than the reference drug. Different short-term proliferation assays suggested that lysosomal damage is an early cellular event associated with complex 3 cytotoxicity, probably mediated by an increased production of reactive oxygen species. Cytological stains and flow cytometric analyses indicated that the phosphine copper(I) complex is able to inhibit the growth of tumor cells via G2/M cell cycle arrest and paraptosis accompanied with the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential.

In Vitro Antitumour Activity of Water Soluble Cu(I), Ag(I) and Au(I) Complexes Supported by Hydrophilic Alkyl Phosphine Ligands

Hydrophilic, monocationic [M(L)(4)]PF(6) complexes (M = Cu or Ag; L: thp = tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine, L: PTA = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane, L: thpp = tris(hydroxypropyl)phosphine) were synthesized by ligand exchange reaction starting from [Cu(CH(3)CN)(4)]PF(6) or AgPF(6) precursors at room temperature in the presence of an excess of the relevant phosphine. The related [Au(L)(4)]PF(6) complexes (L = thp, PTA or thpp) were synthesized by metathesis reactions starting from [Au(L)(4)]Cl at room temperature in the presence of equimolar quantity of TlPF(6). The three series of complexes [M(L)(4)]PF(6) were tested as cytotoxic agents against a panel of several human tumour cell lines also including a defined cisplatin resistant cell line. These investigations have been carried out in comparison with the clinically used metallodrug cisplatin and preliminary structure-activity relationships are presented. The best results in terms of in vitro antitumour activity were achieved with metal-thp species and, among the coinage metal complexes, copper derivatives were found to be the most efficient drugs. Preliminary studies concerning the mechanism of action of these [M(L)(4)]PF(6) species pointed to thioredoxin reductase as one of the putative cellular targets of gold and silver complexes and provided evidence that copper derivatives mediated their cytotoxic effect through proteasome inhibition.

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.

A novel copper complex induces paraptosis in colon cancer cells via the activation of ER stress signalling.

Platinum anticancer drugs have been used for three decades despite their serious side effects and the emerging of resistance phenomena. Recently, a phosphine copper(I) complex, [Cu(thp)4][PF6] (CP), gained special attention because of its strong antiproliferative effects. CP killed human colon cancer cells more efficiently than cisplatin and oxaliplatin and it overcame platinum drug resistance. CP preferentially reduced cancer cell viability whereas non‐tumour cells were poorly affected. Colon cancer cells died via a programmed cell death whose transduction pathways were characterized by the absence of hallmarks of apoptosis. The inhibition of 26S proteasome activities induced by CP caused intracellular accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and the functional suppression of the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway thus triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress. These data, providing a mechanistic characterization of CP‐induced cancer cell death, shed light on the signaling pathways involved in paraptosis thus offering a new tool to overcome apoptosis‐resistance in colon cancer cells.

Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of Cu(II) derivatives of tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methanes

Abstract The reaction between CuX2 (X=ClO4, NO3, Cl, Br and CH3COO) and excess of tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methane ligands L (L=CH(pz)3, CH(4-Mepz)3, CH(3,5-Me2pz)3, CH(3,4,5-Me3pz)3 or CH(3-Mepz)2(5-Mepz)) yields [CuX2(L)], [{CuX2}3(L2)2] or [Cu(L2)]X2-type complexes. The ligand to metal ratio is dependent on the number and disposition of the Me substituents on the azole-type ligand and mainly on the nature of the counter-ion X. All complexes have been characterized in the solid state as well as in solution (IR and UV spectra, and conductivity determinations). The solid-state structures of [Cu{(3,5-Me2pz)3CH}2](NO3)2, [Cu{(3,5-Me2pz)3CH}2](ClO4)2·0.5H2O, [Cu{(3,4,5-Me3pz)3CH}2](NO3)2·H2O, [Cu{(4-Mepz)3CH}2]Br2·3H2O have been determined by single crystal X-ray studies.

New phosphino silver(I) derivatives of hydrotris(3-methyl-2-thioxo-1-imidazolyl)borate. X-ray crystal structure of tricyclohexylphosphinesilver(I)-hydrotris(3-methyl-2-thioxo-1-imidazolyl)borate

Abstract 1:1 Triorganophosphine silver(I) adducts containing the anionic, potential S3-donor, hydrotris(3-methyl-1-imidazolyl-2-thioxo)borate (Tm) were synthesized from K[Tm], AgNO3 and tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy3), tribenzylphosphine (PBz3), tri-p-tolylphosphine (P(p-tolyl)3), tris(2,4,6-trimethylphenylphosphine) (PMes3) or ethyldiphenylphosphine (PEtPh2). When methyldiphenylphosphine (PMePh2) reacted with K[Tm] and AgNO3 the 1:1:2 adduct [(Tm)Ag{PMePh2}2] was obtained, whereas P(m-tolyl)3 in the same conditions yielded the 2:2:1 [(Tm)2Ag2{P(m-tolyl)3}] complex. The bidentate phosphorus donors 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (DPPE) and 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (DPPF) reacted with the [(Tm)Ag] moiety yielding the 1:1:1 adducts [(Tm)Ag{DPPE}] and [(Tm)Ag{DPPF}] whereas no adduct was obtained with 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane and 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane. All the complexes synthesized were characterized through analytical and spectral (IR, 1 H , 13 C and 31 P ) measurements. The solid state structure of [(hydrotris(3-methyl-1-imidazolyl-2-thioxo)-borate)silver(I){tricyclohexylphosphine} [(Tm)Ag{PCy3}] shows the silver atom tricoordinate with the donor Tm acting in the S2-bidentate form. The short Ag–B contact distance suggests the existence of a two-electron B–H⋯Ag agostic interaction.

Sulfonate- or carboxylate-functionalized N-heterocyclic bis-carbene ligands and related water soluble silver complexes

New N-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursors {H(2)C(HTz(R))(2)} and {H(2)C(HIm(R))(2)} (HTz = 1,2,4-triazole; HIm = imidazole; R = PrSO(3) or EtCOO) were obtained starting from the compounds bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methane and bis(imidazol-1-yl)methane. The related silver(i) carbene complexes were prepared in degassed water solution by treatment of the triazolium or imidazolium species with Ag(2)O, resulting in well-characterized and water soluble bimetallic complexes of general formula {Na(2)[H(2)C(Tz(R))(2)](2)Ag(2)} and {Na(2)[H(2)C(Im(R))(2)](2)Ag(2)}. In these metallacycles every silver atom is coordinated to two triazolin- or imidazolin-2-ylidene rings, belonging to two different dicarbene units.

In Vitro and in Vivo Anticancer Activity of Copper(I) Complexes with Homoscorpionate Tridentate Tris(pyrazolyl)borate and Auxiliary Monodentate Phosphine Ligands

Tetrahedral copper(I) TpCuP complexes 1-15, where Tp is a N,N,N-tris(azolyl)borate and P is a tertiary phosphine, have been synthesized and characterized by means of NMR, ESI-MS, and XAS-EXAFS, and X-ray diffraction analyses on the representative complexes 1 and 10, respectively. All copper(I) complexes were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines (including cisplatin and multidrug-resistant sublines). The two most effective complexes [HB(pz)3]Cu(PCN), 1, and [HB(pz)3]Cu(PTA), 2, showed selectivity toward tumor vs normal cells, inhibition of 26S proteasome activity associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and unfolded protein response (UPR) activation. No biochemical hallmarks of apoptosis were detected, and morphology studies revealed an extensive cytoplasmic vacuolization coherently with a paraptosis-like cell death mechanism. Finally, the antitumor efficacy of complex 1 was validated in the murine Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) model.