Ruthenium(II)–Arene Thiocarboxylates: Identification of a Stable Dimer Selectively Cytotoxic to Invasive Breast Cancer Cells |
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| Authors: | Dr Liam J Stephens Dr Aviva Levina Dr Iman Trinh Dr Victoria L Blair Dr Melissa V Werrett Prof Peter A Lay Prof Philip C Andrews |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Chemistry, Monash University, 14 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800 Australia;2. School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Eastern Avenue, Sydney, NSW, 2006 Australia |
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| Abstract: | RuII-arene complexes provide a versatile scaffold for novel anticancer drugs. Seven new RuII-arene-thiocarboxylato dimers were synthesized and characterized. Three of the complexes ( 2 a , b and 5 ) showed promising antiproliferative activities in MDA-MB-231 (human invasive breast cancer) cells, and were further tested in a panel of fifteen cancerous and noncancerous cell lines. Complex 5 showed moderate but remarkably selective activity in MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50=39±4 μm Ru). Real-time proliferation studies showed that 5 induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells but had no effect in A549 (human lung cancer, epithelial) cells. By contrast, 2 a and b showed moderate antiproliferative activity, but no apoptosis, in either cell line. Selective cytotoxicity of 5 in aggressive, mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 cells over many common epithelial cancer cell lines (including noninvasive breast cancer MCF-7) makes it an attractive lead compound for the development of specifically antimetastatic Ru complexes with low systemic toxicity. |
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| Keywords: | anticancer agents antimetastatic apoptosis breast cancer ruthenium |
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