From coins to cancer therapy: Gold, silver and copper complexes targeting human topoisomerases.

Abstract

Cancer is a complex issue and, even though the prevention basics and therapy have been implemented, it is still the second leading death cause worldwide. With the hope to discover new powerful and safer molecules to fight cancer, many researchers focused their attention on metal-based compounds, starting from the most famous and successfully employed anticancer drug, i.e. cisplatin. The current article aims to report the most recent discoveries about the use of gold, silver and copper complexes as antitumor agents, highlighting their influences on important enzymes, namely human topoisomerases. The latter are fundamental for the cell life and, if overexpressed, strongly implicated in cancer onset and progression. The identification of lead complexes targeting human topoisomerases and gifted with the appropriate chemical and pharmacological properties represents a fecund starting point to obtain new and more effective anticancer molecules.

• Authors: Jessica Ceramella, Annaluisa Mariconda, Domenico Iacopetta, Carmela Saturnino, Alexia Barbarossa, Anna Caruso, Camillo Rosano, Maria Stefania Sinicropi, Pasquale Longo
• Journal: Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters (Bioorg Med Chem Lett) Vol. 30 Issue 3 Pg. 126905 (02 01 2020) ISSN: 1464-3405 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 31874823 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Coordination Complexes
• Ligands
• Silver
• Gold
• Copper
• DNA Topoisomerases

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacology)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Coordination Complexes (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacology)
• Copper (chemistry)
• DNA Topoisomerases (chemistry, metabolism)
• Gold (chemistry)
• Humans
• Ligands
• Silver (chemistry)
• Structure-Activity Relationship