Approaching tumour therapy beyond platinum drugs: status of the art and perspectives of ruthenium drug candidates

A Bergamo; C Gaiddon; J H M Schellens; J H Beijnen; G Sava

doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2011.09.030

Approaching tumour therapy beyond platinum drugs: status of the art and perspectives of ruthenium drug candidates

J Inorg Biochem. 2012 Jan;106(1):90-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2011.09.030. Epub 2011 Sep 29.

Authors

A Bergamo¹, C Gaiddon, J H M Schellens, J H Beijnen, G Sava

Affiliation

¹ Callerio Foundation Onlus, Trieste, Italy.

PMID: 22112845
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2011.09.030

Abstract

The study of metal complexes for the treatment of cancer diseases has resulted in the identification of some unique properties of ruthenium-based compounds. Among these inorganic-based agents, two of them, namely the ruthenium(III) drugs NAMI-A and KP1019 have undertaken with some success the clinical evaluations of phase I and preliminary phase II trials in patients. Here we highlight the strategies that have led to the discovery of metal-based (NAMI-A and KP1019) and of organometallic (RM175, RAPTA-T, RDC11 and DW1/2) ruthenium-based complexes, and we report their main biological/pharmacological characteristics and expectations for further development.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
Cell Survival / drug effects
Clinical Trials as Topic
Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
Humans
Molecular Structure
Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Neoplasms / pathology
Organometallic Compounds / chemistry
Organometallic Compounds / therapeutic use*
Ruthenium / chemistry*

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents
Organometallic Compounds
Ruthenium