Research Progress on Bioactive Metal Complexes against ER-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women and represents a serious disease that is harmful to life and health. In 1977, with the approval of tamoxifen, endocrine therapy has become the main clinical treatment for ER-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Although patients initially respond well to endocrine therapies, drug resistance often emerges and side effects can be challenging. To overcome drug resistance, the exploration for new drugs is a priority. Metal complexes have demonstrated significant antitumor activities, and platinum complexes are widely used in the clinic against various cancers, including breast cancer. In this Perspective, the first section describes the classification and mechanism of endocrine therapy drugs for ER+ breast cancer, and the second section summarizes research since 2000 into metal complexes with activity toward ER+ breast cancer. Finally, we discuss the opportunities, challenges, and future directions for metal complexes in the treatment of ER+ breast cancer.

Comparative Solution Equilibrium Studies on Anticancer Estradiol-Based Conjugates and Their Copper Complexes

“…Comprehensive reviews of metallodrug conjugates with steroids have been provided by Biersack et al [12] and Bideau et al [13]. Furthermore, numerous examples of Pt(II) [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], organoruthenium [22][23][24], and Cu(II) [25,26] complexes with a steroidal backbone as a pharmacophore have been reported.…”

A Trojan horse approach for enhancing the cellular uptake of a ruthenium nitrosyl complex

“…Bypassing biological barriers using biomimetic drugs, often called molecular Trojan horses, 16,17 indeed enhances cellular uptake and accumulation of the drug into a specific tissue. [18][19][20] This targeting strategy has not only been applied to 'classical' chemotherapeutics such as platinum complexes, 19,21 but also in the context of next-generation light-triggered cancer therapies such as photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT). [22][23][24][25] PACT is based on the use of compounds that are poorly or negligibly cytotoxic except when irradiated with light, which triggers the photocleavage of the molecule and the generation of cytotoxic photoproducts.…”

“…Bypassing biological barriers using biomimetic drugs, often called molecular Trojan horses, 16,17 indeed enhances cellular uptake and accumulation of the drug into a specific tissue. 18–20…”

Deciphering the Diversified Metabolic Behavior of Hydroxyalkyl Ferrocidiphenols as Anticancer Complexes

“…Platinum complexes represent one of the great successes in the area of anticancer drugs, although the emerging drug-resistance and systemic toxicity have somewhat hampered their clinical applications and efficacy. Recently, a new direction in the development of metallodrugs to circumvent the drawbacks − associated with the platinum complexes and linked to the rise of transition metal bioorganometallic chemistry has gradually come to the fore. − Among the organometallic complexes that can be used as antitumoral agents, those of iron, an earth-abundant and inexpensive metal, occupy a privileged position, mostly featuring ferrocene, a compact, stable, nontoxic metallocene showing reversible redox properties. − …”