Heterodinuclear ruthenium(II)-cobalt(III) complexes as models for a new approach to selective cancer treatment

Heterodinuclear ruthenium(ii)-cobalt(iii) complexes have been prepared as part of investigations into a new approach to selective cancer treatment. A cobalt(iii) centre bearing amine ligands, which serve as models for cytotoxic nitrogen mustard ligands, is connected by a bridging ligand to a ruthenium(ii)-polypyridyl moiety. Upon excitation of the ruthenium centre by visible light, electron transfer to the cobalt(iii) centre results in reduction to cobalt(ii) and consequent release of its ligands. We have synthesised several such structures and demonstrated their ability to release ligands upon excitation of the ruthenium centre by visible light

Cellular Up-regulation of Nedd4 Family Interacting Protein 1 (Ndfip1) using Low Levels of Bioactive Cobalt Complexes*

The delivery of metal ions using cell membrane-permeable metal complexes represents a method for activating cellular pathways. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of new [CoIII(salen)(acac)] complexes capable of up-regulating the ubiquitin ligase adaptor protein Ndfip1. Ndfip1 is a neuroprotective protein that is up-regulated in the brain after injury and functions in combination with Nedd4 ligases to ubiquitinate harmful proteins for removal. We previously showed that Ndfip1 can be increased in human neurons using CoCl2 that is toxic at high concentration. Here we demonstrate a similar effect can be achieved by low concentrations of synthetic CoIII complexes that are non-toxic and designed to be activated following cellular entry. Activation is achieved by intracellular reduction of CoIII to CoII leading to release of CoII ions for Ndfip1 up-regulation. The cellular benefit of Ndfip1 up-regulation by CoIII complexes includes demonstrable protection against cell death in SH-SY5Y cells during stress. In vivo, focal delivery of CoIII complexes into the adult mouse brain was observed to up-regulate Ndfip1 in neurons. These results demonstrate that a cellular response pathway can be advantageously manipulated by chemical modification of metal complexes, and represents a significant step of harnessing low concentration metal complexes for therapeutic benefit