Dr. Ana Rilak Simović

In the last period, dr. Ana Rilak Simović was engaged in the research related to the design and synthesis of new ruthenium and gold complexes as potential antitumor agents. New gold(III) complexes with a chlorophenyl terpyridine ligand, as well as ruthenium(III) complexes with Schiff bases as chelating ligands, were synthesized and characterized. Part of the research refers to the investigation of the kinetics and mechanism of substitution reactions with biomolecules such as guanosine-5′-monophosphate, L-histidine and L-methionine, by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The second part of the research is related to the examination of the interactions of the complex with DNA and human serum albumin. The binding affinity of the complex to DNA was studied by UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy and viscometry. Competitive binding interactions with the intercalating agent ethidium bromide, as well as with Hoechst 33258, which binds to the minor groove, were also investigated. Additionally, the competitive interactions of the complexes with human serum albumin were investigated in the presence of markers ibuprofen and ezone Y. The third part of the research refers to the examination of the antitumor activity of the newly synthesized gold and ruthenium complexes.

1. Ana Rilak, Ioannis Bratsos, Ennio Zangrando, Jakob Kljun, Iztok Turel, Živadin D. Bugarčić and Enzo Alessio, “New water-soluble Ruthenium(II) terpyridine complexes for anticancer activity: synthesis, characterization, activation kinetics and interaction with guanine derivatives”, Inorganic Chemistry, 53 (2014) 6113-6126. ISSN: 0020-1669. DOI: 10.1021/ic500521.
2. Ana Rilak Simović, Romana Masnikosa, Ioannis Bratsos, Enzo Alessio, “Chemistry and reactivity of ruthenium(II) complexes: DNA/protein binding mode and anticancer activity are related to the complex structure“, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 398 (2019) 113011. ISSN: 0010-8545. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2019.07.008.
3. Milan M. Milutinović, Petar P. Čanović, Dragana Stevanović, Romana Masnikosa, Milan Vraneš, Aleksandar Tot, Milan M. Zarić, Bojana Simović Marković, Maja Misirkić Marjanović, Ljubica Vučićević, Maja Savić, Vladimir Jakovljević, Vladimir Trajković, Vladislav Volarević, Tatjana Kanjevac and Ana Rilak Simović, “Newly synthesized heteronuclear ruthenium(II)/ferrocene complexes suppress the growth of mammary carcinoma in 4T1-treated BALB/c mice by promoting activation of anti-tumor immunity“, Organometallics, 37 (2018) 4250-4266. ISSN: 0276-7333. DOI: 10.1021/acs.organomet.8b00604.
4. Dejan Lazić, Andreas Scheurer, Jelena Z. Milovanović, Aleksandar Arsenijević, Bojana Stojanović, Nebojša Arsenijević, Marija Milovanović, Ana Rilak Simović, “New bis-pyrazolylpyridine ruthenium(III) complex as a potential anticancer drug: In vitro and in vivo activity in murine colon cancer“, Dalton Transactions, 50 (2021) 7686-7704. ISSN: 1477-9226. DOI: 1039/D1DT00185J.
5. Radisavljević, A. Kesić, D. Ćoćić, V. Marković, J. Milovanović, B. Petrović, A. Rilak Simović, “New gold(III) chlorophenyl terpyridine complex: Biomolecular interactions and anticancer activity against human oral squamous cell carcinoma“, Applied Organometallic Chemistry, (2022) e6922. ISSN: 1099-0739. DOI: 10.1002/aoc.6922.