Coordination compounds in cancer: past, present and perspectives

Metal-based coordination compounds have been used throughout the history of human medicine to treat various diseases, including cancer. Since the discovery of cisplatin in 1965, a great number of metal coordination complexes, such as platinum, ruthenium, gold or copper have been designed, synthesised and tested in order to develop clinically effective and safe drugs. Currently, many reviews cover applications of cytostatic metal complexes pointing out the most promising examples of platinum- and non-platinum-based compounds in preclinical and clinical trials. However, recent comprehensive reviews covering chemical and biological aspects of metal-based coordination compounds in cancer therapy are still rare. In this review we wish to provide an overview of the coordination chemistry of current and novel cytostatic compounds, including an outline of their design and rationale of synthesis, and summarize bio-chemical reactivity and physicochemical properties of candidate metal complexes.