A new Ce(III) compound based on 5-aminotetrazole-1-propanoic acid for ablation of HeLa cells

Abstract

Developing new drugs for the treatment of cancer is of great significance. Coordination compounds based on tetrazole-carboxylates are the potential candidates for cancer treatment. In this article, Ce₂(atzpa)₄(H₂O)₈](NO₃)₂·2H₂O based on 5-aminotetrazole-1-propanoic acid (Hatzpa) and Ce(NO₃)₃·6H₂O has been designed and prepared. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that the compound is binuclear in which atzpa acts as a bridging ligand. In order to improve the water dispersity of this compound, PEG_-5000 (poly(ethyleneglycol_-5000)) was coated on Ce₂(atzpa)₄(H₂O)₈](NO₃)₂·2H₂O to prepare the nanoparticles (NPs) in distilled water. In vitro study on HeLa cells shows that Hatzpa is nontoxic itself, while Ce₂(atzpa)₄(H₂O)₈](NO₃)₂·2H₂O NPs show high toxicity. Such NPs have a low half-inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 24?μg mL^?1 (2.0?×?10^?5 M). In addition, such NPs are able to inhibit the migration of HeLa cells even at a low concentration effectively, showing their potential to inhibit the transfer of tumors in vivo.