Metal Complexes as Anticancer Drugs
The goal of our research is the development of anticancer metallodrugs that can overcome some of the drawbacks associated with the use of platinum drugs. We are working on the synthesis of ruthenium, iron, manganese, and iridium complexes and their application as anticancer agents in various cancer cell lines, namely in A2780 (ovarian carcinoma), A2780cis (ovarian carcinoma resistant to cisplatin) HCT116 (colorectal carcinoma) HCT116doxR (colorectal carcinoma resistant to doxorubicin), MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 (breast adenocarcinona). Toxicity studies of the metal complexes are performed using in vivo models (zebrafish and chicken embryos).
Metal Complexes as Antimicrobial Agents
Antibiotic resistance has become one of the most serious health problems. At least 700,000 people die each year due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In our group we are exploring the use of metal complexes (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ru) as antimicrobial agents against several bacteria strains, such as staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia Coli, clostridium difficile and several Candida fungal species such as Candida glabrata and Candida albicans.
Marine Natural Products
The potential of marine products in drug discovery is invaluable. Marine organisms are capable of producing a great diversity of novel metabolites, many of them with high potential in pharmacological application. Our work is involved in the purification of marine extracts and the screening of these substances against a number of therapeutic targets, such as anticancer, antibacterial and antifungal (in collaboration with biologists), and in the characterization of the chemically active entities.
Collaborations
