Theranostics Through the Synergistic Cooperation of Heterometallic Complexes

Abstract

Heterometallic drugs are emerging as a great alternative to conventional metallodrugs. Careful selection of different metallic fragments makes possible to enhance not only the therapeutic potential by a synergistic effect, but also to incorpore key features like traceability. Drugs that integrate traceability and therapy in one system are known as theranostic agents. In cancer research, theranostic agents are becoming increasingly important. They deliver crucial information regarding their biological interplay that can ultimately be used for optimization. The well‐established therapeutic potential of PtII‐, RuII‐ and AuI‐based drugs combined with the outstanding optical properties of d6 transition metal complexes grant the delivery of traceable metallodrugs. These species can be easily fine‐tuned through modification of their respective ligands to provide a new generation of drugs.

Challenges and opportunities in the development of metal-based anticancer theranostic agents

“…The compounds were shown to interact with DNA, however, their precise mechanism of action was not clear. Further examples of heterobimetallic theranostics of this class have been reported by the Casini [ 93 ], Patra [ 94 ], Gornitzka [ 95 ] and also reviewed recently [ 96 , 97 ].…”

Multifunctional Heterometallic IrIII−AuI Probes as Promising Anticancer and Antiangiogenic Agents

“…A thorough selection of the coordination sphere of both metals will remain the key for the delivery of a selective theranostic probe targeting a specific organelle, as well as for a possible synergistic effect that would provide an exponential therapeutic effect on cancer cells. Up to date, heterometallodrugs in theranostics is still in their infancy [18] . Only few examples have been published so far, and the majority describes the combination of either Re I or Ru II species as the emissive fragments with cytotoxic species based on Au I or Pt II (Figure 1).…”

“…Up to date, heterometallodrugs in theranostics is still in their infancy. [18] Only few examples have been published so far, and the majority describes the combination of either Re I or Ru II species as the emissive fragments with cytotoxic species based on Au I or Pt II (Figure 1 ). [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ] Regarding Ir III ‐Au I based hetero‐metallodrugs, a single example was recently reported, where a orthometallated Ir III species of the type [Ir(C^N) 2 (N^N)] + was functionalised with a peptide coupled to therapeutic Au I fragment (Figure 1 ).…”

Aggregation versus Biological Activity in Gold(I) Complexes. An Unexplored Concept

“…At the beginning, gold complexes were widely used for the treatment of several diseases, especially as antiinfectious and antitubercular agents, but the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with a phosphine–gold thiolate complex, auranofin, was a key point in revealing the potential of these types of complexes as metallodrugs. Nowadays, these types of complexes are very well studied because of their potential applications as anticancer agents − and even, very recently, because of preliminary promising results in the fight against the SARS-CoV2 virus. , Interestingly, gold­(I) metallodrugs display better tolerance in in vivo studies than platinum derivatives, which are well-known as anticancer agents since the discover of cisplatinum. Phosphane–gold­(I) alkynyl complexes are among the most studied of the gold­(I) complexes reported, with some promising results in the literature for potential anticancer activity. ,− …”