Author(s)

Jennifer D. Conner¹, Wathsala Medawala¹, Madison T. Stephens¹, William H. Morris¹, Joseph E. Deweese^2,3, Patrick L. Kent⁴, Jeffery J. Rice⁴, Xiaohua Jiang^1*, Edward C. Lisic^1*

¹Department of Chemistry, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, USA.
²Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN, USA.
³Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
⁴Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, USA.

The focus of this research is on the study of a series of copper (II) benzoylpyridine thiosemicarbazone complexes. Of the six benzoylpyridine thiosemicarbazone ligands used in this study, two are reported for the first time; 2-benzoylpyridine tert-butyl thiosemicarbazone (BZP-tBTSC), and 2-benzoylpyridine benzyl thiosemicarbazone (BZP-BzTSC). Once characterized by NMR, melting point, and MS, these mono-anionic tridentate ligands were then reacted with Cu²⁺ to form the new square planar metal complexes [Cu(BZP-tBTSC)Cl] and [Cu(BZP-BzTSC)Cl]. All of the copper complexes display marked inhibition of human topoisomerase IIα. The [Cu(BZP-tBTSC)Cl] complex shows marked activity against human breast cancer cell lines.

Topoisomerase IIα, Alpha-(N)-Heterocyclic Thiosemicarbazones, Breast Cancer Cells

Conner, J. , Medawala, W. , Stephens, M. , Morris, W. , Deweese, J. , Kent, P. , Rice, J. , Jiang, X. and Lisic, E. (2016) Cu(II) Benzoylpyridine Thiosemicarbazone Complexes: Inhibition of Human Topoisomerase IIα and Activity against Breast Cancer Cells. Open Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 6, 146-154. doi: 10.4236/ojic.2016.62010.