Self-assembly of an anion receptor with metal-dependent kinase inhibition and potent in vitro anti-cancer properties

Abstract

Artificial self-assembling systems such as anion receptors or ‘binders’ are largely unexplored for therapeutic applications. Here, the authors report self-assembling trimetallic cryptands containing copper, zinc or manganese that encapsulate a range of anions, are highly toxic to human cancer cell lines and show metal-dependent selectivity towards cancer vs. healthy cells linked to the selective inhibition of multiple kinases.