Understanding trans platinum complexes as potential antitumor drugs beyond targeting DNA

This focused review is devoted to our advances in developing trans platinum complexes as antitumoral complexes, in particular those bearing aliphatic amines. It includes some fundamental aspects of the understanding of non conventional metallodrug mechanism. The perspective is arranged by those fundamental aspects and within each section only the most successful examples have been included and also those in which clearly SAR's (structure activity relationships) have been observed.

Graphical abstractThis focused review is devoted to our advances in developing trans platinum complexes as antitumoral complexes, in particular those bearing aliphatic amines and it includes some fundamental aspects of the understanding of these non conventional metallodrugs and their mechanism.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Speciation of trans complexes in water solution and its after-effects ► After-effect: using irradiation to improve selectivity ► Looking for a new target: interaction with electrolytes and protein models ► The impact of the variation of the spectator ligand in the cytotoxicity ► The impact of the variation of the leaving-ligand in the cytotoxicity