Guy J. Clarkson

NMR studies of group 8 metallodrugs:187Os-enriched organo-osmium half-sandwich anticancer complex

Synthesis of this187Os-enriched organo-osmium azopyridine anticancer complex, has allowed determination of187Os NMR J-couplings to ligand1H and13C, and the187Os chemical shift. The complex was also characterised by X-ray crystallography and MS.

DNA‐Intercalative Platinum Anticancer Complexes Photoactivated by Visible Light

AbstractPhotoactivatable agents offer the prospect of highly selective cancer therapy with low side effects and novel mechanisms of action that can combat current drug resistance. 1,8‐Naphthalimides with their extended π system can behave as light‐harvesting groups, fluorescent probes and DNA intercalators. We conjugated N‐(carboxymethyl)‐1,8‐naphthalimide (gly‐R‐Nap) with an R substituent on the naphthyl group to photoactive diazido PtIV complexes to form t,t,t‐[Pt(py)2(N3)2(OH)(gly‐R‐Nap)], R=H (1), 3‐NO2 (2) or 4‐NMe2 (3). They show enhanced photo‐oxidation, cellular accumulation and promising photo‐cytotoxicity in human A2780 ovarian, A549 lung and PC3 prostate cancer cells with visible light activation, and low dark cytotoxicity. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit pre‐intercalation into DNA, resulting in enhanced photo‐induced DNA crosslinking. Complex 3 has a red‐shifted absorption band at 450 nm, allowing photoactivation and photo‐cytotoxicity with green light.