Recent Advances in Anti-Tumor Metal Complexes and Drug Delivery Systems: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 890

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: antioxidants and oxidative stress in biological systems; modulators of oxidative stress; structural characterization of novel compounds, new ligands, and their transition metal complexes, with potential biological activity; the inhibitory potential of compounds towards major transport proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: transition metal complexes; DFT; noncovalent interactions; DNA and protein binding affinity; spectroscopic characterization; antioxidants; free radicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, enhanced intrest in the discovery of novel drugs in order to adequately increase the survival rate of patients with various types of cancer has been observed, as this malignacy is among the most prevalent causes of death worldwide. To overcome all potential problems regarding the application of leading chemotherapeutic agents, such as platinum drugs, a wide range of naturally occurring phytochemicals and their synthetic analogs with anticancer potential are being explored for use in cancer therapy. Signifcant attention has been paid to transition metal complexes other than platinum, which should be more effective and less toxic than the existing ones. Novel, promising perspectives in this area are also associated with the development of so-called “targeted drug delivery systems”, which are created by labeling certain carriers with biologically active molecules or receptors that are specifically attached to targeted cells or tissues.

This Special Issue aims to present recent research regarding the design, synthesis, structural characterization, in silico numerical simulation, and biological activity evaluation of new tumor-selective compounds and their transition metal complexes; this is in addition to their immobilization into drug delivery systems that could provide a therapeutic dose of novel compounds to different cancer cells.

We welcome original research papers and reviews that address novel and naturally occurring phytochemicals or synthetic analogs, their transition metal complexes, and drug delivery systems with possible applications in anticancer therapy.

Prof. Dr. Jasmina Dimitrić Marković
Prof. Dr. Goran Kaluđerović
Dr. Dušan Dimić
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • transition metal complexes
  • synthesis
  • structural characterization
  • biological activity
  • in silico methods
  • drug delivery

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 3892 KiB  
Article
Ru(II) Complexes with 3,4-Dimethylphenylhydrazine: Exploring In Vitro Anticancer Activity and Protein Affinities
by Jasmina Dimitrić Marković, Dušan Dimić, Thomas Eichhorn, Dejan Milenković, Aleksandra Pavićević, Dragoslava Đikić, Emilija Živković, Vladan Čokić, Tobias Rüffer and Goran N. Kaluđerović
Biomolecules 2025, 15(3), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15030350 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 469
Abstract
Two new Ru(II) complexes, mononuclear [RuCl26-p-cymene)(3,4-dmph-κN)] (1) and the binuclear complex [{RuCl(η6-p-cymene)}2(μ-Cl)(μ-3,4-dmph-κ2N,N′)]Cl (2; 3,4-dmph = 3,4-dimethylphenylhydrazine), are synthesized and experimentally [...] Read more.
Two new Ru(II) complexes, mononuclear [RuCl26-p-cymene)(3,4-dmph-κN)] (1) and the binuclear complex [{RuCl(η6-p-cymene)}2(μ-Cl)(μ-3,4-dmph-κ2N,N′)]Cl (2; 3,4-dmph = 3,4-dimethylphenylhydrazine), are synthesized and experimentally and theoretically structurally characterized utilizing 1H and 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as DFT calculations. Degradation product of 2, thus ([{RuCl(η6-p-cymene)}2(μ-Cl)(μ-3,4-dmph-κ2N,N′)][RuCl36-p-cymene)] (2b) was characterized with SC-XRD. In the crystals of 2b, the cationic and anionic parts interact through N-H...Cl hydrogen bridges. The spectrofluorimetric measurements proved the spontaneity of the binding processes of both complexes and HSA. Spin probing EPR measurements implied that 1 and 2 decreased the amount of bound 16-doxylstearate and implicated their potential to bind to HSA more strongly than the spin probe. The cytotoxicity assessment of both complexes against the MDA-MB-231 and MIA PaCa-2 cancer cell lines demonstrated a clear dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and no effect on healthy HS-5 cells. Determination of the malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl concentrations indicated that new complexes could offer protective antioxidant benefits in specific cancer contexts. Gel electrophoresis measurements showed the reduction in MMP9 activity and indicated the potential of 1 in limiting the cancer cells’ invasion. The annexin V/PI apoptotic assay results showed that 1 and 2 exhibit different selectivity towards MIA PaCa-2 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. A comparative molecular docking analysis of protein binding, specifically targeting acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and human serum albumin (HSA), demonstrated distinct binding interactions for each complex. Full article
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