The cobalt bis(dicarbollide)(1-) anion (1-), [(1,2-C2B9H11)2-3,3'-Co(III)](1-), plays an increasingly important role in material science and medicine due to its high chemical stability, 3D shape, aromaticity, diamagnetic character, ability to penetrate cells, and low cytotoxicity. A key factor enabling the incorporation of this ion into larger organic molecules, biomolecules, and materials, as well as its capacity for "tuning" interactions with therapeutic targets, is the availability of synthetic routes that enable easy modifications with a wide selection of functional groups. Regarding the modification of the dicarbollide cage, syntheses leading to substitutions on boron atoms are better established. These methods primarily involve ring cleavage of the ether rings in species containing an oxonium oxygen atom connected to the B(8) site. These pathways are accessible with a broad range of nucleophiles. In contrast, the chemistry on carbon vertices has remained less elaborated over the previous decades due to a lack of reliable methods that permit direct and straightforward cage modifications. In this review, we present a survey of methods based on metalation reactions on the acidic C-H vertices, followed by reactions with electrophiles, which have gained importance in only the last decade. These methods now represent the primary trends in the modifications of cage carbon atoms. We discuss the scope of currently available approaches, along with the stereochemistry of reactions, chirality of some products, available types of functional groups, and their applications in designing unconventional drugs. This content is complemented with a report of the progress in physicochemical and biological studies on the parent cobalt bis(dicarbollide) ion and also includes an overview of recent syntheses and emerging applications of boron-substituted compounds.

• Klíčová slova
• borane, carborane, cobalt bis(dicarbollide), dicarbollide, lithiation, metalation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Platinum compounds remain the first-line drugs for the treatment of most lethal gynecological malignancies and ovarian cancers. Acquired platinum resistance remains a major challenge in gynecological oncology. Considering the unique physicochemical properties of the metallacarboranes modifier and the significant role of nucleoside derivatives as anticancer antimetabolites, we designed and synthesized a set of adenosine conjugates with metallacarboranes containing iron, cobalt, or chromium as semi-abiotic compounds that influence the cisplatin sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells. Adherent cultures of ovarian carcinoma cell lines and multicellular spheroids, ranging from sensitive to highly resistant including experimental cell lines "not responding" to platinum drugs were used. Iron-containing metallacarborane conjugates showed the best anticancer activity, especially against resistant cells. Compound modified at the C2' nucleoside position showed the best activity in resistant cancer cells and highly resistant cancer spheroids exposed to cisplatin, increasing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis or necrosis, and reactive oxygen species production. Moreover, it showed high cellular accumulation and did not induce cross-resistance to cisplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, or gemcitabine in long-term cultures. The reference nido-carborane derivative (no metal ions) and unmodified nucleosides were not as effective. These findings indicate that metallacarborane modification of adenosine may sensitize ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin in combination treatment.

• Klíčová slova
• apoptosis, cancer spheroids, chemoresistance, cisplatin, metallacarboranes, nucleoside derivatives, ovarian cancer, reactive oxygen species,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Ring cleavage of cyclic ether substituents attached to a boron cage via an oxonium oxygen atom are amongst the most versatile methods for conjoining boron closo-cages with organic functional groups. Here we focus on much less tackled chemistry of the 11-vertex zwitterionic compound [10-(O-(CH2-CH2)2O)-nido-7,8-C2B9H11] (1), which is the only known representative of cyclic ether substitution at nido-cages, and explore the scope for the use of this zwitterion 1 in reactions with various types of nucleophiles including bifunctional ones. Most of the nitrogen, oxygen, halogen, and sulphur nucleophiles studied react via nucleophilic substitution at the C1 atom of the dioxane ring, followed by its cleavage that produces six atom chain between the cage and the respective organic moiety. We also report the differences in reactivity of this nido-cage system with the simplest oxygen nucleophile, i.e., OH-. With compound 1, reaction proceeds in two possible directions, either via typical ring cleavage, or by replacement of the whole dioxane ring with -OH at higher temperatures. Furthermore, an easy deprotonation of the hydrogen bridge in 1 was observed that proceeds even in diluted aqueous KOH. We believe this knowledge can be further applied in the design of functional molecules, materials, and drugs.

• Klíčová slova
• borane, carborane, dicarbollide ion, nucleophilic substitution, oxonium atom,
• MeSH
• bor chemie   MeSH
• borany chemie   MeSH
• dioxany chemie   MeSH
• dusík chemie   MeSH
• halogeny chemie   MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 1,4-dioxane MeSH Prohlížeč
• bor MeSH
• borany MeSH
• dioxany MeSH
• dusík MeSH
• halogeny MeSH