Metal Complexation for the Rational Design of Gemcitabine Formulations in Cancer Therapy

Nanoformulation of chemotherapies represents a promising strategy to enhance outcomes in cancer therapy. Gemcitabine is a chemotherapeutic agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of various solid tumors. Nevertheless, its therapeutic effectiveness is constrained by its poor metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic profile. Nanoformulations of gemcitabine in lipid and polymer nanocarriers usually lead to poor loading capability and an inability to effectively control its release profile due to the physicochemical characteristics of the drug and matrices. Here, we propose metal–gemcitabine complexation with biorelevant metal cations as a strategy to alter the properties of gemcitabine in a noncovalent manner, paving the way for the development of novel nanoformulations. A speciation study on gemcitabine and Mn2+, Zn2+, and Ca2+ was performed with the aim of investigating the extent of the interaction between the drug and the proposed metal cations, and selecting the best conditions of temperature, pH, and drug-to-metal molar ratio that optimize such interactions. Also, a series of density functional theory calculations and spin-polarized ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to achieve insights on the atomistic modalities of these interactions. Mn2+-gemcitabine species demonstrated the ability to maintain gemcitabine’s biological activity in vitro. The scientific relevance of this study lies in its potential to propose metal-gemcitabine as a valuable strategy for developing nanoformulations with optimized quality target product profiles. The work is also clinically relevant because it will lead to improved treatment outcomes, including enhanced efficacy and pharmacokinetics, decreased toxicity, and new clinical possibilities for this potent therapeutic molecule.