Ruthenium-based PACT agents based on bisquinoline chelates: synthesis, photochemistry, and cytotoxicity.

The known ruthenium complex [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Hmte)](PF6)2 ([1](PF6)2, where tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, Hmte = 2-(methylthio)ethanol) is photosubstitutionally active but non-toxic to cancer cells even upon light irradiation. In this work, the two analogs complexes [Ru(tpy)(NN)(Hmte)](PF6)2, where NN = 3,3'-biisoquinoline (i-biq, [2](PF6)2) and di(isoquinolin-3-yl)amine (i-Hdiqa, [3](PF6)2), were synthesized and their photochemistry and phototoxicity evaluated to assess their suitability as photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) agents. The increase of the aromatic surface of [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2, compared to [1](PF6)2, leads to higher lipophilicity and higher cellular uptake for the former complexes. Such improved uptake is directly correlated to the cytotoxicity of these compounds in the dark: while [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2 showed low EC50 values in human cancer cells, [1](PF6)2 is not cytotoxic due to poor cellular uptake. While stable in the dark, all complexes substituted the protecting thioether ligand upon light irradiation (520 nm), with the highest photosubstitution quantum yield found for [3](PF6)2 (Φ[3] = 0.070). Compounds [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2 were found both more cytotoxic after light activation than in the dark, with a photo index of 4. Considering the very low singlet oxygen quantum yields of these compounds, and the lack of cytotoxicity of the photoreleased Hmte thioether ligand, it can be concluded that the toxicity observed after light activation is due to the photoreleased aqua complexes [Ru(tpy)(NN)(OH2)]2+, and thus that [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2 are promising PACT candidates.

Alkyne Functionalization of a Photoactivated Ruthenium Polypyridyl Complex for Click-Enabled Serum Albumin Interaction Studies.

Studying metal-protein interactions is key for understanding the fate of metallodrugs in biological systems. When a metal complex is not emissive and too weakly bound for mass spectrometry analysis, however, it may become challenging to study such interactions. In this work a synthetic procedure was developed for the alkyne functionalization of a photolabile ruthenium polypyridyl complex, [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Hmte)](PF6)2, where tpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, and Hmte = 2-(methylthio)ethanol. In the functionalized complex [Ru(HCC-tpy)(bpy)(Hmte)](PF6)2, where HCC-tpy = 4'-ethynyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, the alkyne group can be used for bioorthogonal ligation to an azide-labeled fluorophore using copper-catalyzed "click" chemistry. We developed a gel-based click chemistry method to study the interaction between this ruthenium complex and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Our results demonstrate that visualization of the interaction between the metal complex and the protein is possible, even when this interaction is too weak to be studied by conventional means such as UV-vis spectroscopy or ESI mass spectrometry. In addition, the weak metal complex-protein interaction is controlled by visible light irradiation, i.e., the complex and the protein do not interact in the dark, but they do interact via weak van der Waals interactions after light activation of the complex, which triggers photosubstitution of the Hmte ligand.

Induction of a Four-Way Junction Structure in the DNA Palindromic Hexanucleotide 5'-d(CGTACG)-3' by a Mononuclear Platinum Complex.

Four-way junctions (4WJs) are supramolecular DNA assemblies comprising four interacting DNA strands that in biology are involved in DNA-damage repair. In this study, a new mononuclear platinum(II) complex 1 was prepared that is capable of driving the crystallization of the DNA oligomer 5'-d(CGTACG)-3' specifically into a 4WJ-like motif. In the crystal structure of the 1-CGTACG adduct, the distorted-square-planar platinum complex binds to the core of the 4WJ-like motif through π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding, without forming any platinum-nitrogen coordination bonds. Our observations suggest that the specific molecular properties of the metal complex are crucially responsible for triggering the selective assembly of this peculiar DNA superstructure.

The two isomers of a cyclometallated palladium sensitizer show different photodynamic properties in cancer cells.

This report demonstrates that changing the position of the carbon-metal bond in a polypyridyl cyclopalladated complex, i.e. going from PdL1 (N^N^C^N) to PdL2 (N^N^N^C), dramatically influences the photodynamic properties of the complex in cancer cells. This effect is primarily attributed to the significantly difference in absorbance and singlet oxygen quantum yields between the two isomers.

Preparation, stability, and photoreactivity of thiolato ruthenium polypyridyl complexes: Can cysteine derivatives protect ruthenium-based anticancer complexes?

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes may act as light-activatable anticancer prodrugs provided that they are protected by well-coordinated ligands that i) prevent coordination of other biomolecules to the metal center in the dark and ii) can be removed by visible light irradiation. In this paper, the use of monodentate thiol ligands RSH as light-cleavable protecting groups for the ruthenium complex [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(OH2)](PF6)2 ([1](PF6)2; tpy=2,2';6',2″-terpyridine, bpy=2,2'-bypyridine), is investigated. The reaction of [1](2+) with RSH=H2Cys (L-cysteine), H2Acys (N-acetyl-L-cysteine), and HAcysMe (N-acetyl-L-cysteine methyl ester), is studied by UV-visible spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Coordination of the monodentate thiol ligands to the ruthenium complex takes place upon heating to 353 K, but full conversion to the protected complex [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(SR)]PF6 is only possible when a large excess of ligand is used. Isolation and characterization of the two new thiolato complexes [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(κS-HCys)]PF6 ([2]PF6) and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(κS-HAcys)]PF6 ([3]PF6) is reported. [3]PF6 shows a metal-to-ligand charge-transfer absorption band that is red shifted (λmax=492 nm in water) compared to its methionine analogue [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(κS-HAmet)](Cl)2 ([5](Cl)2, λmax=452 nm; HAmet=N-acetyl-methionine). In the dark the thiolate ligand coordinated to ruthenium is oxidized even by traces of oxygen, which first leads to the sulfenato, sulfinato, and disulfide ruthenium complexes, and finally to the formation of the aqua complex [1](2+). [3]PF6 showed slow photosubstitution of the thiolate ligand by water under blue light irradiation, together with faster photooxidation of the thiolate ligand compared to dark conditions. The use of thiol vs. thioether monodentate ligands is discussed for the protection of anticancer ruthenium-based prodrugs.