Redox activation of metal-based prodrugs as a strategy for drug delivery
This review provides an overview of metal-based anticancer drugs and drug candidates. In particular, we focus on metal complexes that can be activated in the reducing environment of cancer cells, thus serving as prodrugs. There are many reports of Pt and Ru complexes as redox-activatable drug candid...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016-08-16T18:36:09Z.
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| Online Access: | Get fulltext |
| Summary: | This review provides an overview of metal-based anticancer drugs and drug candidates. In particular, we focus on metal complexes that can be activated in the reducing environment of cancer cells, thus serving as prodrugs. There are many reports of Pt and Ru complexes as redox-activatable drug candidates, but other d-block elements with variable oxidation states have a similar potential to serve as prodrugs in this manner. In this context are compounds based on Fe, Co, or Cu chemistry, which are also covered. A trend in the field of medicinal inorganic chemistry has been toward molecularly targeted, metal-based drugs obtained by functionalizing complexes with biologically active ligands. Another recent activity is the use of nanomaterials for drug delivery, exploiting passive targeting of tumors with nano-sized constructs made from Au, Fe, carbon, or organic polymers. Although complexes of all of the above mentioned metals will be described, this review focuses primarily on Pt compounds, including constructs containing nanomaterials. German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD fellowship) German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD reintegration grant) National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (grant CA034992) |
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