CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF HYDROXYPYRIDINECARBOXYLIC ACIDS AS NEW POSSIBLE CHELATING AGENTS FOR IRON AND ALUMINIUM

Chelation therapy is the most efficient therapeutic approach for metal ion overload [1]. As regards the toxic metal ions Fe and Al, the two well established chelators (desferal, deferiprone) have several drawbacks, and for the newly commercialized one (deferasirox) the toxicological and efficiency data are partly controversial and in any case they are still insufficient for a complete evaluation. Multidisciplinary research for alternative molecules for Fe and Al chelation therapy is therefore actively pursued. We proposed some hydroxypyridinecarboxylic acids (HPs) ([2] and references therein) as potential chelating agents for Fe and Al, as they have several requirements for an ideal chelator [3]. In the present communication, the results of the latest HP derivatives will be reported. The aim of these measurements is the chemical evaluation of these compounds as Fe and Al chelating agents. 1. C. Hershko (Guest Editor), Sem. Hematol. 2005, 42, Issue 2, Supplement 1 2. A. Dean, M.G. Ferlin, P. Brun, I. Castagliuolo, R.A. Yokel, D. Badocco, P. Pastore, G.G. Bombi, V.B. Di Marco, Dalton Transactions, 2009, 1815-1824. 3. R. C. Hider, T. Zhou, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 2005, 1054, 141.