Gold-based cytotoxic complexes for targeted anticancer treatments

The project aims to synthesise, characterise and study the biological properties of a panel of new gold-based complexes, enhancing their biological activity by employing commonly used strategies. In particular, four different targeting approaches were implemented and compared in order to highlight the strengths of each and the differences between them. The study of the potential interaction with biologically relevant proteins, such as human serum albumin, is of fundamental importance for a deeper understanding of the reactivity of the gold-based complexes of interest. Through data analysis and exploration of the correlations between physico-chemical properties and cytotoxicity, the study identifies crucial aspects to take into consideration to obtain the best outcomes regarding potency, selectivity and overcoming resistance mechanisms.