Publication in PLoS ONE

Complexes of the general formula cis-[PtI₂(naza)₂] (1–8) showed high in vitro cytotoxicity against nine human cancer cell lines (IC₅₀= 0.4–12.8 μM). The results of in vivo testing, using the L1210 lymphocytic leukaemia model confirmed the activity of complex 8 comparable to cisplatin. From the mechanistic point of view, the results of the ex vivo studies performed by Western blot analyses on the samples of isolated tumour tissues, together with other obtained results (g. in vitro interaction experiments with selected biomolecules, cell cycle perturbations, gel electrophoretic studies on pUC19 plasmid DNA), supported the hypothesis that the complexes might be involved in the mechanism of action quite different from cisplatin.