Combined therapy of ruthenium dendrimers and anti-cancer drugs against human leukemic cells

Carbosilane ruthenium( ii ) dendrimers have been complexed with conventional anti-cancer drugs. Due to its features, the presence of ruthenium within a dendrimer structure improves the anti-cancer properties of nanocomplexes containing 5-flurouracyl, methotrexate and doxorubicin. These dendrimers could be promising carriers of anti-cancer medicines. Ruthenium dendrimers that are positively charged can also enhance the cytotoxicity to cancer cells; moreover, they can form stable complexes with drugs. Results indicate that ruthenium dendrimers combined with doxorubicin and methotrexate significantly reduced the viability of leukaemia 1301 and HL-60 cancer cells. A new family of cationic ruthenium( ii ) metallodendrimers of a carbosilane nature with the metal centre coordinated to 2-aminopyridine ligands have been synthesized and interacted with conventional anticancer drugs.