Medicinal and Biological Chemistry of Alkynylgold Complexes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ingo Ott
• Subject Area: Pharmacy ; Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2013 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 240296617

Alkynylgold(I) complexes are organometallic species with a broad usage in catalysis and in electronics. However, their applicability in biomedical sciences close to chemistry (in particular Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology) has only recently been demonstrated within first pilot studies. The stable coordination of gold(I) to the alkynyl ligand leads to complexes with a promising potential for drug development. Of particular interest is the strong and selective inhibition of the enzyme thioredoxin reductase, which is a molecular target for novel anticancer drug candidates. The biochemical-biological potential of this type of organometallics is still rather unexplored. During the first project phase a deeper understanding of the medicinal chemistry of alkynylgold(I) complexes was achieved. Within the second project phase additional structure-activity-relationship studies as well as pharmaceutical analytics and bioanalytics will be in the focus aiming at a transition of this class of compounds to the drug development stage.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants