Studies of the in vitro biological activity and interaction with biomolecules of Ag(I), Cu(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with cycloserine

Abstract

The use of metals in medicine has been known since antiquity. However, until the end of the XIX century, this application was made empirically, without scientific evidence. Currently, metal complexes are employed clinically, and rationally, both in diagnosis and in the treatment of diseases. Some metal ions of recognized biological action, such as Ag(I), Cu(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II), also can be associated with bioactive molecules for the development of new and more efficient and selective drugs. This project aims the study of the biological activity of Ag(I), Cu(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes with cycloserine, a second line antibiotic already used clinically in the treatment of tuberculosis. The compounds will be synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their anti-bacterial and antiproliferative activities in vitro on a panel of tumor cells. It will also be studied the interaction of the same compounds with biomolecules as DNA and proteins, in order to investigate their possible biological targets in the organism.