A Review on the Advancements in the Field of Metal Complexes with Schiff Bases as Antiproliferative Agents

Abstract

Metal complexes play an essential role in pharmaceutical sciences for their multiple and important activities. Schiff bases are versatile pharmacophores able to form chelating complexes with several metals in different oxidation states. Complexes with Schiff bases are widely described in the literature for their multiple actions and numerous advantages, such as low cost and easy synthesis. They show multiple biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimalarial, antinflammatory and antitumor. Schiff bases may also form complexes with lanthanides and actinides acting as catalysts (e.g., in various synthetic processes) and antitumor agents. This review intends to extend on our previous paper regarding Schiff bases as antitumorals, highlighting the importance, in the field of the anticancer agents, of these tools as ligands of metal complexes.

Multidrug Resistance (MDR): A Widespread Phenomenon in Pharmacological Therapies

“…The development of novel reversal agents that could inhibit the efflux functions of ABC transporters is an urgent need that could bring some advantages in chemotherapy. Several new potential drugs for the treatment of cancer are under study [ 50 , 51 , 52 ] and the complexes with transition metals represent an important alternative way to combat MDR [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. The modulation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) may represent another strategy to kill MDR cancer cells that are mechanistically diverse [ 57 , 58 ].…”

COVID-19 at a Glance: An Up-to-Date Overview on Variants, Drug Design and Therapies

“…CVL218 was able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication without exhibiting any obvious cytopathic effects; moreover, CVL218 can interact with the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 and suppress the LPS-induced production of several inflammatory cytokines that are highly relevant to the prevention of the immunopathology induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection [ 132 ]. Several other compounds, endowed with different biological activities, have been proposed for repositioning [ 133 ], such as ivermectin (IVM), an FDA-approved antiparasitic drug for onchocerciasis and strongyloidiasis [ 134 ], fibrates, diarylureas [ 135 , 136 ], Schiff bases [ 137 , 138 , 139 ] and transition metal complexes [ 140 , 141 ]. Moreover, a recent article indicated the use of repositioning microbial biotechnology for studies against COVID-19, particularly for flavonoids.…”

Special Issue on “Anticancer Drugs Activity and Underlying Mechanisms”

“…Finally, Iacopetta et al [26] conducted a literature study reviewing the research conducted on on mono-and bis-Schiff bases within the past few decades, determining several applications and various biological properties [27] and highlighting the compounds with high antitumor properties that fall in the micromolar to nanomolar range. The authors extrapolated upon the literature results, evidencing the versatility of these compounds, both by themselves or in association with metal complexes, indicating a high and broad range anticancer activity with few or no effects on the viability of normal cells.…”