Per the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures there were an estimated 1.7 million new cases of cancer in 2018. Many treatments are currently available however they exhibit serious side effects due to poor selectivity. Efforts to create safer anticancer therapies and limit undesired side effects include the development of site-directed treatments. We have developed a series of ruthenium complexes of the type [Ru(N,N’)2(6,6’-dihydroxybipyridine)]2+ as potential anticancer prodrugs that are cytotoxic when exposed to light but maintain low toxicity in the dark. Initial results were reported [Inorg. Chem., 2017, 56, 7519] and in this presentation we will describe the results of recent studies. Our recent investigations indicate the amount of cellular uptake has an impact on toxicity. This is being investigated by determining the distribution coefficient in an octanol/water system as a function of pH as a potential model for passive diffusion. Also presented will be initial studies for determining a mode of action for our complexes and how photodissociation and singlet oxygen production influences toxicity.

Development and study of novel ruthenium complexes as potential light-activated anticancer prodrugs: determining which characteristics have the highest impact on toxicity.

2019 Spring National Meeting

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