Gold(III) Complexes for Antitumor Applications: An Overview

Abstract

Gold(III) complexes have emerged as a versatile and effective class of metal-based anticancer agents. The development of various types of ligands capable of stabilizing the Au cation and preventing its reduction under physiological conditions, such as chelating nitrogen-donors, dithiocarbamates and C^N cyclometalled ligands, has opened the way for the exploration of their potential intracellular targets and action mechanisms. At the same time, the bioconjugation of Au complexes has emerged as a promising strategy for improving the selectivity of this class of compounds for cancer cells over healthy tissues, and recent developments have shown that combining gold complexes with molecular structures that are specifically recognized by the cell can exploit the cell's own transport mechanisms to improve selective metal uptake.

Chiral AuI‐ and AuIII‐Isothiourea Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Application

“…All three classes of the newly synthesized cationic and neutral gold(I) and gold(III)‐isothiourea complexes were next examined in some preliminary biological studies –. Some significant results are provided below, with full details available in the Supporting Information.…”

Do Gold(III) Complexes Form Hydrogen Bonds? An Exploration of AuIII Dicarboranyl Chemistry

“…In the course of our exploration of gold(III) chemistry [20,21] we found that the nature of cyclometallated ligands had ap ro-found effect on the thermals tabilityo fp otentially labile complexes. For example, whereas the Au III alkene complex [Me 2 Au(COD)] + could only be isolated and crystallized at low temperatures, [22] analogous complexes [(C^C)Au(COD)] + supported by chelating biscarbanionic biphenylyl insteado f methyl ligands provedt ob et hermally stable (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene;ĈC = 4,4'-di-tert-butylbiphenyl-2,2'-diyl).…”

Pyridylbenzimidazole‐Based Gold(III) Complexes: Lysozyme Metalation, DNA Binding Studies, and Biological Activity

“…of cisplatin and its second‐generation antitumor drugs (carboplatin and oxaliplatin) encouraged the researchers to focus on new isoelectronic and isostructural analogues of metal ions other than Pt(II). The chemistry of Au(III) received interest fortified by their outstanding cytotoxicity against cisplatin resistant cell lines, and antimicrobial activity against the biofilm mediated infections having resistance to antibiotics The anticancer activity of Au(III) complexes incorporating either N‐donor, dithiocarbamate or C ^ N cyclometalated ligands has been reported . However, Au(III) complexes have fast rate of hydrolysis and high reduction potential to be reduced with the cellular reductants (e.g.…”