The Copper Reduction Potential Determines the Reductive Cytotoxicity: Relevance to the Design of Metal-Organic Antitumor Drugs.

Copper-organic compounds have gained momentum as potent antitumor drug candidates largely due to their ability to generate an oxidative burst upon the transition of Cu to Cu triggered by the exogenous-reducing agents. We have reported the differential potencies of a series of Cu(II)-organic complexes that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death after incubation with -acetylcysteine (NAC). To get insight into the structural prerequisites for optimization of the organic ligands, we herein investigated the electrochemical properties and the cytotoxicity of Cu(II) complexes with pyridylmethylenethiohydantoins, pyridylbenzothiazole, pyridylbenzimidazole, thiosemicarbazones and porphyrins.

Role of New Chiral Additives on Physical-Chemical Properties of the Nematic Liquid Crystal Matrix.

We have synthesized and studied three new chiral substances as additives to a nematic liquid crystal. The difference in the optical activity and chemical structure of additive molecules results in the appearance of the chiral nematic phase and the change in both the compatibility of the mixture components and temperature range of the liquid crystal phase. The role of additives with fundamentally different structures and optical activities is shown.

Enhancing the affinity of novel GLS1 allosteric inhibitors by targeting key residue Lys320.

A series of novel GLS1 irreversible allosteric inhibitors targeting Lys320 might have robust enzyme inhibitory activity and potent antitumor activity. Novel GLS1 allosteric inhibitors targeting Lys320 were synthesized and their anticancer activity was assessed. Moreover, GLS1 protein was used as a model system to analyze the reactivity of these electrophilic groups in GLS1 irreversible allosteric inhibitors with other amino acids, including tyrosine, histidine, serine and threonine, using biochemical and biophysical assays.

Cell Lysis Induced by Lys394 Enzyme Assisted by Magnetic Nanoparticles Exposed to Non-Heating Low-Frequency Magnetic Field.

The spreading of microbial pathogens with more and more resistance to traditional low-molecular antibiotic agents demands new approaches to antibacterial therapy. The employment of bacteriophage enzymes capable of breaking bacterial cell walls has attracted much interest within this context. The specific features of the morphology of Gram-negative bacteria prevent the effective direct usage of lytic enzymes and require assistance from additional helpers to facilitate cell lysis.

Novel Mesogenic Vinyl Ketone Monomers and Their Based Polymers.

In the present research, we have synthesized new vinyl ketone monomers with mesogenic substituents, namely, 8-(3'-chloro-4'-pentyl-[1,1'-biphenyl-4-oxy)oct-1-en-3-one () and 8-[2'-chloro-4‴-octyl-[1,1':4',1″:4″,1‴-quaterphenyl-4-oxy]oct-1-en-3-one (). The comparison of , , and previously synthesized 8-((4″-(()-4-butylcyclohexyl)-2'-chloro-[1,1',4',1″-terphenyl]-4-yl)oxy)oct-1-en-3-one () has revealed that all of them are able to form crystals, while their ability to exhibit liquid crystalline behavior depends on the number of phenyl substituents attached to the para-position of the phenoxy group and is observed for and only. All of the monomers are able to achieve self-polymerization upon heating and free radical polymerization in bulk or in solution under the action of the common radical initiator AIBN.