| Research area: | Chemistry | |
| Research unit: | Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Laboratory of Biocoordination and Bioanalytical chemistry | |
| Funding institution: | National Science Fund, Bulgaria | |
| Project duration: | 18.12.2008 - 15.07.2012 | |
| Partners: | Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland | |
| Project leader: | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anife Ahmedova | |
| Anife Ahmedova obtained her MSc in 1998 from the University of Shumen and PhD in Analytical Chemistry in 2003 from Sofia University. She started working at the Faculty of Chemistry, Sofia University, in 2004 as an Assistant Professor. Since November 2012, she is an Associate Professor in Analytical Chemistry. She has specialized in Italy, Germany, Poland and Japan with Marie-Curie, A. von Humboldt, DAAD and Matsumae Fellowships. Areas of research interests: coordination and computational chemistry, spectroscopy, supramolecular chemistry. |
Abstract
With the advent of molecular biology and oncology the study of cancer at molecular level has become possible. Thereby, the current research efforts are directed towards a new class of non-classical antitumor agents with higher specificity and lower general toxicity, employing the known ability of hydantoin derivatives to bind competitively and inhibit different enzymes, growth-factor and androgen receptors - all related to cancer cell formation and growth. The metal complexes of such compounds appear as a very promising, new generation of non-classical antitumor agents.
The main goal of this research was to study the complexation properties of hydantoin derivatives with platinum and ruthenium ions and develop complexes with better antitumor activity and lower toxicity. For its accomplishment, several hydantoin derivatives and their mono- and dithio- analogues have been studied, completing the following tasks: synthesis of metal complexes of platinum and ruthenium, and structural characterization and anticancer activity.
Results
The study of the complexation properties of a series of hydantoins with platinum and ruthenium ions resulted in 20 new complexes that were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and quantum-chemical methods. For two of the ligands X-ray data were obtained and their crystal structure was solved.
The structural study of the complexes was based on a combined - experimental and theoretical approach - employing a large set of spectroscopic methods, formulating the most probable structure of the complexes. In vitro tests for antitumor activity against four types of human tumor cell lines showed moderate concentration dependent cytotoxicity. The chronic myeloid leukemia derived BV173 proved to be the most responsive tumor model, whereas K-562 and HL-60 were less sensitive.
Some of the results were published in an international journal with IF=1.899 (Inorg. Chim. Acta), and others were presented at 7 scientific conferences.
Contacts
Dr. Anife Ahmedova
Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
1 James Bourchier Blvd, 1164 Sofia
Phone: +359-2-8161-247, (+359 899843811)
e-mail: Ahmedova@chem.uni-sofia.bg
www: www.chem.uni-sofia.bg/depart/lbbc/BBC_core/AhmedovaA.html