title: Metal-based anticancer chemotherapeutic agents.
abstract: Since the discovery of the cisplatin antitumor activity, great efforts have focused on the rational design of metal-based anticancer agents that can be potentially used in cancer chemotherapy. Over the last four decades, a large number of metal complexes have been extensively investigated and evaluated in vitro and in vivo, and some of them were at different stages of clinical studies. Amongst these complexes, platinum (Pt(II) and Pt(IV)), ruthenium (Ru(II) and Ru(III)), gold (Au(I) and Au(III)) and titanium (Ti(IV)) complexes are the most studied metals. We describe here some most recent progresses on Pt(IV) prodrugs which can be activated once enter tumor cells, polynuclear Pt(II) complexes which have unique DNA binding ability and mode, anti-metastatic Ru(II)/Ru(III) complexes, and Au(I)/Au(III) and Ti(IV) antitumor active complexes. The key focuses of these studies lie in finding novel metal complexes which could potentially overcome the hurdles of current clinical drugs including toxicity, resistance and other pharmacological deficiencies.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Nafees
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. Electronic address: zguo@nju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zijian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D004247:DNA