The carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes with five independently evolved (R, ,γ,δ,ς) classes reported up to date. [1][2][3] These enzymes catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons by means of a metalhydroxide (Lig 3 M 2+ (OH) -) mechanism. 2 In addition to the established role of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) as diuretics and antiglaucoma drugs, it has recently emerged that CAIs could have potential as novel antiobesity, anticancer, and anti-infective drugs. 1,2 A critical problem in the design of CAIs is related to the high number of isoforms in mammals (15), their diffuse localization in many tissues/organs, and the lack of isozyme selectivity of the presently available inhibitors. [1][2][3][4] Recently, nanoparticles received great attention for their biomedical applications both for the site-specific delivery of drugs 7 or for imaging purposes. 7,8 Several recent such examples include HIV inhibition with a CCR5 antagonist attached to multivalent gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), tumor targeting with NPs loaded with hydroxycamptothecin, paclitaxel, or fumagillin, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques of tumors based on integrins targeting with Fe 3 O 4 NPs, computer tomography (CT) or MRI imaging with gadolinium chelate Au NPs, etc. 7,8 Human CA IX (hCA IX) is an extracellular, transmembrane isoform which was recently shown to constitute a novel and interesting target for the anticancer therapy due to its overexpression in many cancer tissues and not in their normal counterparts. 1b,9 Its expression is strongly induced by hypoxia present in many tumor tissues and correlated with a bad response to classical chemo-and radiotherapies. 1b,9 CA IX was shown to acidify the extratumoral medium leading both to the acquisition of metastasic phenotypes and to chemoresistance with many anticancer drugs, these processes being reverted by inhibition of the enzyme catalytic activity with sulfonamide inhibitors. 1b,9 The development of selective CA IX inhibitors might provide useful tools for highlighting the exact role of CA IX in hypoxic cancers, to control the pH imbalance of tumor cells and lead to novel diagnostic or therapeutic applications for the management of such tumors. 1b,9 Although many sulfonamide/sulfamate/sulfamide potent CA IX inhibitors were reported, few of them show an acceptable level of selectivity for inhibiting the transmembrane-tumor associated target isoform IX over the cytosolic, ubiquitous isozymes hCA I and II. 1b,9 Considering the extracellular localization of the target CA isoform and the fact that nanomaterials generally show membrane impermeability, 10 we report here the synthesis of CAI coated Au NPs which show excellent CA IX inhibitory properties and selectivity for the inhibition of the tumor-associated isoform over hCA I and II.The key intermediate 3a was synthesized by coupling lipoic acid 1 with 4-aminoethylbenzene sulfonamide 2a in the presence of EDCI/ DMAP, as outlined in Scheme 1. The CAI coated...
