# Antiproliferative Water-Soluble Mono- and Binuclear Ruthenium Complexes with Pyridone–Imidazole Ligands

## TL;DR

Scientists created new water-soluble ruthenium compounds with antiproliferative effects on cancer cells without harming normal cells.

## Contribution

The study introduces a new class of water-soluble ruthenium complexes with pyridone–imidazole ligands showing antiproliferative activity.

## Key findings

- The compounds showed antiproliferative activity in human cancer cell lines.
- They were non-cytotoxic to primary rat fibroblasts up to 1000 µM.
- Binuclear metallocycles resisted hydrolysis and induced apoptosis in tumor cells.

## Abstract

In this study, we synthesized and characterized new imidazole ligands containing pyridone groups, as well as mononuclear and binuclear ruthenium complexes, which are a new class of water-soluble metallacycles. We studied the antiproliferative activity of these compounds in vitro using the MTT assay on a panel of human cancer cell lines and on primary rat fibroblasts, where we observed a complete absence of cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 1000 µM. For the binuclear metallocycle compounds, we investigated their solubility in water, resistance to hydrolysis, and ability to induce apoptosis in tumor cells.