Selective cytotoxicity and luminescence imaging of cancer cells with a dipicolinato-based Eu^III complex

Four new species [Ln(dipicNH₂)₃]^3- (Ln = La^III, Eu^III, Gd^III, Tb^III), with the ligand dipicNH₂^2- (dipic = dipicolinato), were synthesized. Incubation of the Eu^III complex with glioma NG97 and pancreatic cancer PANC1 cells showed that it penetrates the cell membrane and can be used to image the cells, while also being moderately cytotoxic.