Unlike copper, there is no evidence regarding any biological functions of palladium. While the former pathway involves phosphodiester hydrolysis induced by the metal-based compound, the second one is associated with singlet dioxygen, reactive oxygen species (ROS) or electron transfer, which may cause modifications on nucleobases or the deoxyribose skeleton, preventing the progression of tumor cells. Its DNA-cleaving properties via hydrolytic or oxidative pathways make copper-based complexes attractive candidates in the development of new anticancer agents. Ĭopper is an essential biological trace element, which plays a vital role in biological systems, for example, in dioxygen transport and electron-transfer processes. Therefore, several coordination compounds based on other metal ions have been investigated as an alternative for platinum in the development of new antitumor agents, with potentially distinct mechanisms of action. Despite their anticancer efficacy, platinum-containing compounds lack specificity and are frequently accompanied by drug resistance and severe side effects, such as nephrotoxicity. Platinum(II) complexes, such as cisplatin, are employed in the treatment of several types of cancer, with a mechanism of action that involves binding to purine DNA base pairs, mainly at position N7 of guanine.
Since the discovery of cis- (cisplatin), DNA has been a key target in the development of metal-based antitumoral drugs.
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