INORGANIC ANTICANCER AGENTS - THEIR CHEMISTRY AND ANTITUMOR PROPERTIES

In the last two decades, the development of new tumor-inhibiting metal complexes has received increasing attention owing to the successful t herapy of testicular carcinomas with cisplatin. Here, a short overview is presented with special consideration of platinum compounds and of two new substances: a titanium complex, ethoxy-bis(1-phenylbutane-1,3- dionato)titanium(IV) (budotitane, International Nonproprietary Name), and a ruthenium complex, trans-HInd[RuCl4(ind)(2)]. Some aspects of th e mode of action of cisplatin, the first metal complex in cancer thera py, are summarized in this article because it provides a background fo r all subsequent investigations. Activation and activated species, bin ding to and transport by plasma proteins, DNA interactions and the for mation of metal-nucleotide adducts are chemical aspects discussed in t he context of a new generation of tumor-inhibiting metal complexes.