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Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Using Caenorhabditis elegans to Screen for Tissue-Specific Chaperone Interactions
Published on: June 7, 2020
Warburg Effect Targeting Co(III) Cytotoxin Chaperone Complexes
Alexandra Glenister1, Catherine K J Chen1, David J Paterson2
1School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.
Abstract:
A glucose-based vector for targeting cancer cells conjugated to a tris(methylpyridyl)amine (tpa) ligand to generate targeted chaperone and caging complexes for active anticancer agents is described. The ligand, tpa(CONHPEGglucose)1, inhibits hexokinase, suggesting that it will be phosphorylated in the cell. A Co(III) complex incorporating this ligand and coumarin-343 hydroximate (C343ha), [Co(C343ha){tpa(CONHPEGglucose)1}]Cl, is shown to exhibit glucose-dependent cellular accumulation in DLD-1 colon cancer cells. Cellular accumulation of [Co(C343ha){tpa(CONHPEGglucose)1}]+ is slower than for the glucose null and glucosamine analogues, and the glucose complex also exhibits a lower ability to inhibit antiproliferative activity. Distributions of cobalt (X-ray fluorescence) and C343ha (visible light fluorescence) in DLD-1 cancer cell spheroids are consistent with uptake of [Co(C343ha){tpa(CONHPEGglucose)1}]+ by rapidly dividing cells, followed by release and efflux of C343ha and trapping of the Co{tpa(CONHPEGglucose)1} moiety. The Co{tpa(CONHPEGglucose)1} moiety is shown to have potential for the caged and targeted delivery of highly toxic anticancer agents.
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