title: Recent insights on the medicinal chemistry of metal-based compounds: hints for the successful drug design.
abstract: Although more complex than usually described, the anticancer action mechanism of cisplatin is based on binding to DNA. Following this line of reasoning, most the metal-based compounds discovered soon after cisplatin were designed to acting as DNA-binding agents and their pharmacological properties were thought to be correlated with this mechanism. Apart from the DNA structure, a significant number of proteins and biochemical pathways have been described as drug targets for metal-based compounds. This paper is therefore aimed at discussing the most recent findings on the medicinal chemistry of metal-based drugs. It starts illustrating the design concept behind the bioinorganic chemistry of anticancer complexes. Anticancer metallic compounds that inhibit the protein kinases are concisely discussed as a case study. The accuracy and limitations of molecular docking programs currently available to predict the binding mode of metallic complexes in molecular targets are further discussed. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of different in vitro screenings are briefly commented.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Prof. Artur Sá S/N, Cidade Universitária, 50740-520, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Hernandes
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: de S Pontes
authors.forename: L C D
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: D R M
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: V R A
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: A C L
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D015195:Drug Design; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011506:Proteins; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013882:Thiosemicarbazones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D008024:Ligands; D008670:Metals; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011506:Proteins; D013882:Thiosemicarbazones; D004247:DNA; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1; C406031:proto-oncogene proteins pim; D002945:Cisplatin