Unique platinum–DNA interactions may lead to more effective platinum-based antitumor drugs

Platinum coordination compounds are among the most utilized anticancer agents, even though platinum has not been determined to be an essential trace element in any living organism. The success of platinum-based drugs has catalyzed research on other metal-containing agents that can be used to achieve therapeutic goals that cannot be achieved with organic compounds. The antitumor activities of recently reported platinum(ii) complexes indicate that further modification of platinum coordination compounds will lead to the development of anticancer agents with higher efficacies against chemotherapy-insensitive tumors. In this review, recent approaches to the discovery of new platinum coordination compounds that may be more effective and safer than current anticancer chemotherapeutic agents are described.