Bioorganometallic fulvene-derived titanocene anti-cancer drugs

Chem Soc Rev. 2008 Jun;37(6):1174-87. doi: 10.1039/b707310k. Epub 2008 Apr 2.

Abstract

6-Substituted fulvenes are interesting and easily accessible starting materials for the synthesis of novel substituted titanocenes via reductive dimerisation, carbolithiation or hydridolithiation reactions, which are followed by a transmetallation reaction with titanium tetrachloride in the latter two cases. Depending on the substitution pattern, these titanocenes prove to be bioorganometallic anti-cancer drugs, which have significant potential against advanced or metastatic renal-cell cancer. Patients bearing these stages of kidney cancer have a poor prognosis so far and therefore real progress in the area of metal-based anti-cancer drugs may come from this simple and effective synthetic approach. This tutorial review provides an insight into the synthesis of fulvene-derived titanocenes and their activity in preclinical experiments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cyclopentanes / chemistry*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • LLC-PK1 Cells
  • Molecular Structure
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemical synthesis*
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry
  • Organometallic Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Swine

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cyclopentanes
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • titanocene
  • fulvene