Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41373545›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Imidazolinium-Based NHC-Metal Complexes Overcome Both Cancer Multidrug Resistance and Cisplatin Resistance In Vitro.

Márton Szlávik, Ines Lidia Haffaressas, Réka Mandel, Fanni Fekecs, Ágota Apáti, Attila Paczal, András Kotschy, Gergely Szakács, Szilárd Tóth

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Márton SzlávikServier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony Utca 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary.
Ines Lidia HaffaressasInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.
Réka MandelInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.
Fanni FekecsServier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony Utca 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary.
Ágota ApátiInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0003-0380-8139
Attila PaczalServier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony Utca 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary.
András KotschyServier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony Utca 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-7675-3864
Gergely SzakácsInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-9311-7827
Szilárd TóthInstitute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.ORCID 0000-0002-0168-3531

Funding

FWF Austrian Science Fund FWF 10.55776/PIN1280424National Laboratories Programme, National Laboratory for Drug Research and Development (PharmaLab) RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00015National Research, Development and Innovation Fund ANN 149481
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We report the synthesis and biological characterization of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with gold(I), silver(I), copper(I), and palladium(II) metal centers, and 3-(2,6-diisopropyl-phenyl) imidazolinium- and imidazolium-based ligands, including their biscarbene complexes, along with metal complexes of 4-(S)-tert-butyl-imidazolinium-derived carbenes carrying various substituents in position 1. Compared to the imidazolium complexes, the corresponding imidazolinium complexes displayed superior cytotoxicity against the Mes-Sa uterine sarcoma cell line, while the biscarbene complexes exhibited greatly enhanced cytotoxicity with nanomolar activity. The ABCB1-overexpressing multidrug-resistant sublines of Mes-Sa demonstrated only marginal resistance to monocarbene imidazolinium complexes lacking a 4-(S)-tert-butyl group, whereas significant resistance was observed for all other complexes, with its extent further influenced by the nature of the metal center. Probing a subset of the complexes confirmed their strong cytotoxicity against the CST murine breast cancer cell line and its cisplatin-resistant variant, with little or no cross-resistance observed. Within a defined subset, compounds triggered apoptosis, and intracellular ROS production was consistently induced by the copper complexes. Collectively, these results indicate that imidazolinium-based metal NHCs are promising anticancer drug candidates, with copper and silver centers standing out for their potent cytotoxicity and evasion of both ABCB1-mediated and cisplatin resistance.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsCisplatinCoordination ComplexesDrug Resistance, MultipleDrug Resistance, NeoplasmHeterocyclic CompoundsImidazolesMethaneAnimalsCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansMiceAntineoplastic AgentscarbeneCisplatinCoordination ComplexesHeterocyclic CompoundsImidazolesMethaneABCB1cisplatin resistancemultidrug resistanceN-heterocyclic carbene

Identifiers

PMID41373545
PMCPMC12692346

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.