Organometallic Titanocene–Gold Compounds as Potential Chemotherapeutics in Renal Cancer. Study of their Protein Kinase Inhibitory Properties

Early–late transition metal TiAu2 compounds [(η-C5H5)2Ti­{OC­(O)­CH2PPh2AuCl}2] (3) and new [(η-C5H5)2Ti­{OC­(O)-4-C6H4­PPh2AuCl}2] (5) were evaluated as potential anticancer agents in vitro against renal and prostate cancer cell lines. The compounds were significantly more effective than monometallic titanocene dichloride and gold­(I) [{HOC­(O)­RPPh2}­AuCl] (R = −CH2– 6, −4-C6H4– 7) derivatives in renal cancer cell lines, indicating a synergistic effect of the resulting heterometallic species. The activity on renal cancer cell lines (for 5 in the nanomolar range) was considerably higher than that of cisplatin and highly active titanocene Y. Initial mechanistic studies in Caki-1 cells in vitro coupled with studies of their inhibitory properties on a panel of 35 kinases of oncological interest indicate that these compounds inhibit protein kinases of the AKT and MAPKAPK families with a higher selectivity toward MAPKAPK3 (IC50 3 = 91 nM, IC50 5 = 117 nM). The selectivity of the compounds in vitro against renal cancer cell lines when compared to a nontumorigenic human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK-293T) and the favorable preliminary toxicity profile on C57black6 mice indicate that these compounds (especially 5) are excellent candidates for further development as potential renal cancer chemotherapeutics.