Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of two new gold(III) methylsarcosinedithiocarbamate derivatives on human acute myeloid leukemia cells in vitro.

[Au(MSDT)Cl2] (dichloro[methyl N-(dithiocarboxy-kS,kS')-N-methylglicinato]gold(III)) and [Au(MSDT)Br2] (dibromo[methyl N-(dithiocarboxy-kS,kS')-N-methylglicinato]gold(III)) gold(III) dithiocarbamate derivatives are two newly synthesized gold(III) derivatives of methylsarcosinedithiocarbamate, containing a sulfur chelating ligand that is able to bind the metal center strongly, so preventing interactions with sulfur-containing enzymes; in fact these reactions are believed to be responsible for the nephrotoxicity induced by the platinum(II)-based drugs. Their activity has been compared with the well-known platinum-based anticancer agent cisplatin on a panel of acute myelogenous leukemia cell lines representing different French-American-British subtypes and in the Philadelphia-positive cell line K562. Both compounds suppressed, in a dose-dependent manner, colony formation in methylcellulose with ID50 values of about 10-fold lower than that of the reference drug.