Discovery of Arene Ruthenium(II) Complexes as Potential VEGF Inhibitors for Glioblastoma Metastasis Suppression

Developing drugs for treating glioblastoma has been a significant challenge. Herein, a series of arene ruthenium(II) complexes have been synthesized and investigated as potential candidates to suppress the proliferation and metastasis of glioblastoma. It is found that para-substituent-modified molecules, especially 6, exhibit higher antitumor activity than ortho-substituents. Further studies show that 6 can trigger tumor cell autophagy by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Moreover, it is also found that 6 can induce DNA damage in glioblastoma cells through binding and stabilizing VEGF G-quadruplex DNA. Furthermore, it is confirmed that 6 can inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of U87-MG glioblastoma cell in situ xenograft in the zebrafish model. Hence, arene ruthenium(II) complexes can be developed as promising therapeutic agents for glioblastoma treatment in the future.