In recent years, metallodrugs have emerged as captivating and promising compounds in the fields of cancer therapy and antimicrobial agents. While noble metals have shown remarkable biological activity, increasing interest lies in utilizing more abundant and cost-effective metals in medicinal chemistry. This is primarily due to their pivotal role in biological processes and their lower cost compared to precious metals. Among these, copper(II) complexes have emerged with promising applications in medicine. Notably, copper compounds bearing Schiff bases stand out as innovative metallodrugs. They exhibit intriguing cytotoxic properties against a wide range of cancer cell lines, while also demonstrating inhibitory effects on prevalent bacterial and fungal strains. Nevertheless, research into Cu(II) complexes with Schiff bases remains of paramount interest. One strategic avenue to bolster their biological activity involves the introduction of fluorine groups into the ligands. This approach has demonstrated a significant augmentation in efficacy and selectivity, particularly in targeting cancer cells and microbial pathogens, because fluorine incorporation can improve metabolic stability and cellular uptake. This further reinforces the therapeutic potential of these metallodrugs. Thanks to these promising outcomes, research into the development of Cu(II) complexes with fluorinated Schiff bases is advancing significantly. This holds immense potential for progressing the field of medicinal chemistry, with the aim of addressing unmet clinical needs in both cancer therapy and antimicrobial treatment. This review comprehensively explores the latest advancements in Cu(II) complexes bearing fluorinated Schiff bases, encompassing diverse coordination modes. It delves into their scope and applications in cytotoxic evaluations, as well as their efficacy as antimicrobial and antifungal agents.

Parasites have been associated with possible anticancer activity, including Trypanosoma cruzi, which has been linked to inhibiting the growth of solid tumors. To better understand this antitumor effect, we investigated the association of anti-T. cruzi antibodies with B cells of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) SUPB15 cell line. The antibodies were generated in rabbits. IgGs were purified by affinity chromatography. Two procedures (flow cytometry (CF) and Western blot(WB)) were employed to recognize anti-T. cruzi antibodies on SUPB15 cells. We also used CF to determine whether the anti-T. cruzi antibodies could suppress SUPB15 cells. The anti-T. cruzi antibodies recognized 35.5% of the surface antigens of SUPB15. The complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) results demonstrate the cross-suppression of anti-T. cruzi antibodies on up to 8.4% of SUPB15 cells. For the WB analysis, a band at 100 kDa with high intensity was sequenced using mass spectrometry, identifying the protein as nucleolin. This protein may play a role in the antitumor effect on T. cruzi. The anti-T. cruzi antibodies represent promising polyclonal antibodies that have the effect of tumor-suppressive cross-linking on cancer cells, which should be further investigated.

It is little known that Acanthamoeba trophozoites and Toxocara canis eggs can reduce tumors in vitro and animal models. Although this has been known for many years, the mechanism that induces the antitumor effect in these parasites is still not known. We employed Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence (IFC) by confocal microscopy to explore the potential protein binding between neuroblastoma (NB) SH-SY5Y cells and anti-Acanthamoeba and anti-Toxocara canis antibodies. Using WB, we detected two fragments of 70 kDa and 60 kDa recognized by the anti-Acanthamoeba antibodies, and two fragments of 115 kDa and 70 kDa recognized by the anti-Toxocara canis antibodies. In both cases, the IFC results were positive in the cell membrane of the SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings suggest a potential overlap of similar molecules between these parasites and tumor cells, which may contribute to tumor elimination. Investigating the relationship between anti-Acanthamoeba and anti-Toxocara canis antibodies in neoplastic cells could provide evidence for the future use of these anti-parasitic antibodies in targeting NB or other cancers.