Cyclometalated Palladium(II) N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Anticancer Agents for Potent In Vitro Cytotoxicity and In Vivo Tumor Growth Suppression |
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Authors: | Dr. Tommy Tsz‐Him Fong Dr. Chun‐Nam Lok Dr. Clive Yik‐Sham Chung Dr. Yi‐Man Eva Fung Dr. Pui‐Keong Chow Pui‐Ki Wan Prof. Dr. Chi‐Ming Che |
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Affiliation: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Functional Materials and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;2. HKU Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China |
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Abstract: | Palladium(II) complexes are generally reactive toward substitution/reduction, and their biological applications are seldom explored. A new series of palladium(II) N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes that are stable in the presence of biological thiols are reported. A representative complex, [Pd(C^N^N)(N,N′‐nBu2NHC)](CF3SO3) ( Pd1 d , HC^N^N=6‐phenyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine, N,N′‐nBu2NHC=N,N′‐di‐n‐butylimidazolylidene), displays potent killing activity toward cancer cell lines (IC50=0.09–0.5 μm ) but is less cytotoxic toward a normal human fibroblast cell line (CCD‐19Lu, IC50=11.8 μm ). In vivo anticancer studies revealed that Pd1 d significantly inhibited tumor growth in a nude mice model. Proteomics data and in vitro biochemical assays reveal that Pd1 d exerts anticancer effects, including inhibition of an epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, induction of mitochondrial dysfunction, and antiangiogenic activity to endothelial cells. |
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Keywords: | anticancer agents N-heterocyclic carbenes palladium proteomics thiol reactivity |
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