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Nature-Inspired Gold(I) Complexes as Anticancer Agents: Ligand Design, Structure-Activity Relationships, and
Amrin Begum1,2, Navya Pn1, Pooran Kumar1
1Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry, School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
Nature-inspired gold(I) complexes show potent anticancer activity. Ligand design and gold coordination are key to enhancing cytotoxicity, stability, and understanding their mechanisms for future drug development.
Area of Science:
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Nature-inspired ligands, including natural products and bio-inspired motifs, are valuable sources for novel gold(I) anticancer agents.
- Gold(I) complexes are increasingly investigated for their preclinical anticancer efficacy.
- Understanding the structure-activity relationship is crucial for developing effective gold-based cancer therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review structurally characterized gold(I) complexes derived from nature-inspired ligands.
- To emphasize the influence of ligand structure and gold coordination on biological activity.
- To provide a structure-activity perspective and identify future research opportunities.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of various nature-inspired gold(I) complexes, including alkynyl, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), heteroatom-donor, and heterobimetallic types.
- Structural characterization of these gold(I) complexes.
- Analysis of preclinical anticancer activity data in relation to complex structure.
Main Results:
- Nature-inspired gold(I) complexes exhibit promising preclinical anticancer activity.
- Ligand design and gold coordination significantly impact cytotoxicity, stability, and mechanistic diversity.
- Diverse complex types (alkynyl, NHC, etc.) contribute to enhanced therapeutic potential.
Conclusions:
- Nature-inspired gold(I) complexes represent a promising avenue for anticancer drug discovery.
- Rational design strategies focusing on ligand structure and coordination chemistry can optimize anticancer efficacy.
- Further research into these complexes holds potential for developing novel cancer treatments.
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