Near infra-red luminescent osmium labelled gold nanoparticles for cellular imaging and singlet oxygen generation.

Osmium(II) complexes have attractive properties for potential theranostic agents given their anticancer activitiy, their redox potentials favourable for biological transformations within cancer cells and their luminescence in the near infrared (NIR) region. To achieve localised detection and delivery, gold nanoparticles (AuNP) provide an attractive scaffold to attach multiple luminescent agents on a single particle and provide a multimodal platform for detection and loaclaised delivery. We have developed 13 nm and 25 nm AuNP decorated with an osmium complex based on 1,10-phenantholine and surface active bipyridine ligands, OsPhenSS for live cell imaging and singlet oxygen generation, notated as OsPhenSS·AuNP13 and OsPhenSS·AuNP25.

Exploring Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism of Single 3D Microtissue Spheroids Using Extracellular Flux Analysis.

Three-dimensional (3D) cellular aggregates, termed spheroids, have become the forefront of in vitro cell culture in recent years. In contrast to culturing cells as two-dimensional, single-cell monolayers (2D culture), spheroid cell culture promotes, regulates, and supports physiological cellular architecture and characteristics that exist in vivo, including the expression of extracellular matrix proteins, cell signaling, gene expression, protein production, differentiation, and proliferation. The importance of 3D culture has been recognized in many research fields, including oncology, diabetes, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering.

Cytoglobin protects cancer cells from apoptosis by regulation of mitochondrial cardiolipin.

Cytoglobin is important in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma but the molecular and cellular basis remain to be elucidated. In the current study, we develop a new cell model to study the function of cytoglobin in oral squamous carcinoma and response to cisplatin. Transcriptomic profiling showed cytoglobin mediated changes in expression of genes related to stress response, redox metabolism, mitochondrial function, cell adhesion, and fatty acid metabolism.

Cu(ii) phenanthroline-phenazine complexes dysregulate mitochondrial function and stimulate apoptosis.

Herein we report an in-depth study on the cytotoxic mechanism of action of four developmental cytotoxic copper(ii) complexes: [Cu(phen)2]2+ (Cu-Phen); [Cu(DPQ)(Phen)]2+ (Cu-DPQ-Phen); [Cu(DPPZ)(Phen)]2+; and [Cu(DPPN)(Phen)]2+ (where Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, DPQ = dipyrido[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline, DPPZ = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine, and DPPN = benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine). This complex class is known for its DNA intercalative properties and recent evidence-derived from an in vivo proteomic study-supports the potential targeting of mitochondrial function. Therefore, we focused on mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis related to cytotoxic activity and the potential impact these agents have on mitochondrial function.

In-vivo evaluation of the response of Galleria mellonella larvae to novel copper(II) phenanthroline-phenazine complexes.

Herein we report the in-vivo characterisation and metabolic changes in Galleria mellonella larvae to a series of bis-chelate copper(II) phenanthroline-phenazine cationic complexes of [Cu(phen)] (Cu-Phen), [Cu(DPQ)(Phen)] (Cu-DPQ-Phen) and [Cu(DPPZ)(Phen)] (Cu-DPPZ-Phen) (where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, DPQ = dipyrido[3,2-ƒ:2',3'-h]quinoxaline and DPPZ = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine). Our aim was to investigate the influence of the systematic extension of the ligated phenazine ligand in the G. mellonella model as a first step towards assessing the in-vivo tolerance and mode of action of the complex series with respect to the well-studied oxidative chemical nuclease, Cu-Phen.