Copper Compounds in Cancer Chemotherapy

L.      Ruiz-Azuara; M.      E. Bravo-Gomez

Abstract

Transitional metals have a large variety of coordination numbers and geometries, accessible redox states in physiological conditions and a wide range of thermodynamic and reactivity properties which can be successfully tuned by selection of suitable ligands. These characteristics can be used to develop new drugs with numerous advantages over the organic based drugs. Historically, research in this field has focus on platinum and DNA targeting; however, anticancer drug research may be expanded to include alternative metal compounds with different mode of action resulting in markedly different cytotoxic response profiles. Copper complexes with selected ligands are being extensively studied as agents for the treatment of cancer. Current research on copper compounds as antitumoral compounds is being reviewed in this chapter particularly focused on the family of copper Casiopeinas.

Keywords: Copper compounds, drugs, medicinal inorganic chemistry, Cancer Chemotherapy, organic based drugs, geometries, DNA targeting, copper Casiopeinas, low hydrosolubility, cisplatin (CDDP), therapeutic potential, tumor cell growth, cell proliferation, antitumor agents, Casiopeínas®, Pt clinical drugs, Carboplatino, Oxalilplatino, Nedaplatino, Lobaplatino, Cu (II) thiosemicarbazidecomplexes, Isatin-Schiff base copper (II), platinum-based drugs, ascorbate oxidase, tyrosinase, copper-biological molecules, Wilson disease (WD), Menkes disease (MD), thiosemicarbazone complexes, imidazole, benzimidazole, phenanthroline, bipyridine complexes, antiproliferative activity, Casiopeína II-gly, Casiopeína III-ia, phenanthrolines, L-amino acidate, mixed-ligand complexes, phenanthroline basicity, Structure-Activity Relationships, cytostatic, genotoxic, antitumor activi-ties, diimine ligand, murine glioma, genotoxic activity, Melanoma B16, Leukemia L1210, medulloblastoma, glutathione depletion, hemolytic anemia, Cytotoxicity, hematological effects, cardiovascular toxicity, antineoplastic drug, cisplatin therapy, copper-based antitumor agents, metal, –, ligand combination, recognition of target sites