Gold(III) compounds-mediated inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation

Abstract

Research on chemotherapeutics for lung cancer is crucial for designing a new therapeutic strategy against malignant lung tumors. Although radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which are not selective for cancer cells and exert toxic effects on healthy cells, have a limited advantage, they are the primary treatment modalities for non-small lung cancer. In addition to cytotoxicity, resistance of chemotherapeutics results in failure of treatment. This is why it is of utmost importance to focus on the creation of new chemotherapeutics without toxicity for the successful treatment and improved survival of cancer patients. New gold(III) and Pt(II) compounds were synthesized with a heterocyclic ligand using 2-phenylimidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline as a ligand and bis-1,4-di[([1,10] phenanthroline-5-il)amino]-2-buten as a bridge molecule. The characterization of the compounds was carried out using a variety of spectroscopic methods (H NMR, IR, MS, and elemental analysis). Their antiproliferative, antitumoral, and apoptotic activities were determined. IR spectra and NMR results confirmed the formation of dinuclear heterocyclic complexes for two metal complexes. Cytotoxicity studies on lung cancer cells (A549) and healthy cells (CHL) showed a marked increase in cytotoxicity with the use of gold(III) complexes, and especially [Au(L)B](PF6)2 showed higher cytotoxic and apoptotic features than cisplatin at lower concentrations in cancer cells. These findings have been supported by results from DAPI staining and colorimetric measurement of the caspase-3 enzyme in both cell lines. Compounds showed selective toxicity on the cancer cells. In the light of the high efficacy of our newly synthesized gold complexes, they might be good and promising anticancer agents compared with cisplatin.

Recent development of gold(i) and gold(iii) complexes as therapeutic agents for cancer diseases

“…279 has an IC 50 value of 20–30 μM for A549 cells, 5–10 μM for CHL cells, and 280 has IC 50 values of 20 μM for A549 cells and 10 μM for CHL cells. 211…”

In vitro antitumor activity, metal uptake and reactivity with ascorbic acid and BSA of some gold(III) complexes with N,N′-ethylenediamine bidentate ester ligands

“…The interest of medicinal chemistry in gold has been growing following the successful use of auranofin for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis [20]. In the last decade, a number of gold(III) compounds with high cytotoxicity toward cancer cells have been discovered [21][22][23][24]. Having the square-planar geometry (d 8 system), gold(III) complexes are isoelectronic and isostructural to platinum(II) complexes, and therefore, they may show a model of binding to DNA similar to cisplatin.…”

Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Studies of the Interaction of Some Gold(III) Complexes with Biologically Relevant Thiones

“…Gold complexes are emerging as a new class of metal‐based drugs with promising antitumor properties, since a number of gold(I) and gold(III) complexes have been reported to possess significant cytotoxic effects against various human cancer cell lines . In some cases, they are more effective than cisplatin, a typical anticancer drug .…”