Metallocene dichlorides inhibition

Kopf-Maier P, Wagner W and Kopf H (1981) In vitro cell growth inhibition by metallocene dichlorides. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 5 237—241. 

Both titanocene and vanadocene dichloride inhibit DNA and RNA replication accumulating in nucleic acid rich portions of tumor cells [7,8]. Because of this it is believed that the formation of DNA-metaUocene adducts in vivo is involved in then-ability to inhibit cell growth. Further, it has been found that metallocene-protein interactions are also important and that metal-tranferrin compounds have been included in their mode of action [9]. 

Along with blood plasma proteins, proteins involved in cellular replication have also been implicated in the action of several metallocenes. Vanadocene dichloride inhibits both protein kinase C and bacterial topoisomerase activity [10]. 

This work is aimed at helping understand the ability of metallocene dichlorides to inhibit nucleic acid growth. These reactions are similar to ones that can be carried out to form polymers. 

Modification of the Cyclopentadienyl Ligands, The results described so far suggest that the MX2 moiety within the metallocene dihalides represents the active center of the molecules. However, modification of the cyclopentadienyl rings in (C5H5)2TiCl2 as the model system also has a significant influence on the tumor-inhibiting potency of titanocene dichloride. 

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