Anti-tumor activity of heptaplatin in combination with 5-fluorouracil or paclitaxel against human head and neck cancer cells in vitro

Rapid spectrophotometric determination and extraction of platinum(IV) from pharmaceuticals assisted by 2-(2-(1-(thiophene-2-yl) ethylidene) hydrazinyl) benzoic acid (TEHBA)

It has been suggested that the chelating agent 2-(2-(1-thiophene-2-yl) ethylidene) hydrazinyl) benzoic acid (TEHBA) be utilized to extract, separate and measure platinum(IV) by UV-visible spectrophotometry at the microgram level. Following 5 min of heating the reaction mixture in a water bath, Pt(IV)-TEHBA complex formed. This complex was formed in the presence of potassium iodide solution with a molar absorption coefficient 1.9 × 103 dm3 mol-1 cm-1. At 420 nm, the substance exhibited the greatest absorption. As Beer's law described, the Pt(IV)-TEHBA complex for platinum(IV) has a beer's range of 10-50 μg cm-3. It was determined that the proportion ratio of the Pt(IV)-TEHBA complex was 1:1 after its extraction. Despite the investigation of interference from various ions, it was ascertained that the method exhibited selectivity exclusively towards platinum(IV). The trace amounts of platinum(IV) were extracted and quantified from synthetic mixtures representing alloys, binaries and ternary synthetic mixtures. The process of extracting platinum(IV) from pharmaceutical samples involves the implementation of a specific method. Moreover, the procedure exhibits a progressive segregation of palladium(II), platinum(IV) and nickel(II) while also boasting its ease of operation.

Emerging platinum(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics: A new epoch for platinum-based cancer therapy

Owing to the unique DNA damaging cytotoxicity, platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy has long been the first-line choice for clinical oncology. Unfortunately, Pt drugs are restricted by the severe dose-dependent toxicity and drug resistance. Correspondingly, Pt(IV) prodrugs are developed with the aim to improve the antitumor performance of Pt drugs. However, as "free" molecules, Pt(IV) prodrugs are still subject to unsatisfactory in vivo destiny and antitumor efficacy. Recently, Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics, inheriting both the merits of Pt(IV) prodrugs and nanotherapeutics, have emerged and demonstrated the promise to address the underexploited dilemma of Pt-based cancer therapy. Herein, we summarize the latest fronts of emerging Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics. First, the basic outlines of Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics are overviewed. Afterwards, how versatile Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics overcome the multiple biological barriers of antitumor drug delivery is introduced in detail. Moreover, advanced combination therapies based on multimodal Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics are discussed with special emphasis on the synergistic mechanisms. Finally, prospects and challenges of Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics for future clinical translation are spotlighted.

Pt(II) and Au(III) complexes containing Schiff-base ligands: A promising source for antitumor treatment

The effective application of cisplatin in the clinic as an antitumor treatment has stimulated widespread interest in inorganic metal drugs. In particular, complexes containing the transition metals platinum and gold have attracted considerable attention due to their antitumor effects. The Pt(II) and Au(III) Schiff-base complexes are potential antitumor agents because of their remarkable biological activities and good stability, lipophilicity, and electroluminescent properties. These complexes act via various antitumor mechanisms that are unlike those of the classic platinum drugs, providing a feasible solution for improving the serious side effects caused by metal chemotherapy. In this review, promising antitumor agents based on Pt(II) and Au(III) complexes containing Schiff-base ligands, and their biological targets, including G-quadruplex DNA and thioredoxin reductase, are comprehensively summarized.

Platinum(II) carboxylato complexes containing 7-azaindoles as N-donor carrier ligands showed cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines

The platinum(II) malonato (Mal) and decanoato (Dec) complexes of the general formulas [Pt(Mal)(naza)₂] (1-3) and cis-[Pt(Dec)₂(naza)₂] (4-7) were prepared, characterized and tested for their in vitro cytotoxicity against cisplatin-sensitive (A2780) and cisplatin-resistant (A2780R) human ovarian carcinoma cell lines and non-cancerous human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5); naza=halogeno-derivatives of 7-azaindole. Complexes 1-7 effectively overcome the acquired resistance of ovarian carcinoma cells to cisplatin. Complexes 2 (IC₅₀=26.6±8.9μM against A2780 and 28.9±6.7μM against A2780R), 4 (IC₅₀=14.5±0.6μM against A2780 and 14.5±3.8μM against A2780R) and 5 (IC₅₀=13.0±1.1μM against A2780 and 13.6±4.9μM against A2780R) indicated decreased toxicity against healthy MRC-5 cells (IC₅₀>50.0μM for 2 and >25.0μM for 4 and 5). The representative complexes 2 and 4 showed mutually different effect on the A2780 cell cycle at IC₅₀ concentrations after 24h exposure. Concretely, the complex 2 caused cell cycle arrest at G₀/G₁ phase, while 4 induced cell death by apoptosis with high population of cells in sub-G₁ cell cycle phase. The hydrolysis and interactions of the selected complexes with biomolecules (glutathione (GSH) and guanosine monophosphate (GMP)) were also studied by means of ¹H NMR and ESI+ mass spectra.

Synthesis, anticancer activity and toxicity of a water-soluble 4S,5S-derivative of heptaplatin, cis-{Pt(II)[(4S,5S)-4,5-bis(aminomethyl)-2-isopropyl-1,3-dioxolane]·(3-hydroxyl-cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylate)}

A water-soluble 4S,5S-derivative of heptaplatin, cis-{Pt(II)[(4S,5S)-4,5-bis(aminomethyl)-2-isopropyl-1,3-dioxolane]·(3-hydroxyl-cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylate)} was synthesized. The anticancer activity and toxicity were evaluated by comparing its interaction with DNA, cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines, antitumor efficiency in human gastric carcinoma NCI-N87 xenografts in nude mice, and preliminary side-effects in rats to those of its 4R,5R-optical isomer which is under preclinical development. Both isomers induce condensation of DNA to the same extent and have similar cytotoxicity, but show different antitumor activity and toxicity, probably owing to the difference in respective pharmacokinetic profiles. 4S,5S-Isomer seems to exhibit superior antitumor activity and less toxicity than 4R,5R-optical isomer as well as the parent heptaplatin. These results imply that 4S,5S-configuration as a new drug candidate may be better than 4R,5R-counterpart.

Assessment of new DFT methods for predicting vibrational spectra and structure of cisplatin: which density functional should we choose for studying platinum(II) complexes?

Ten different DFT methods, including several recently developed functionals have been tested for their performances in prediction of infrared and Raman spectra and molecular structure of cisplatin. The assessed DFT methods cover the range from meta-GGA to hybrid, double hybrid and long-range corrected hybrid models (M06-L, M06, M06-2X, PBE0, mPW1PW, B3LYP, B2PLYP, CAM-B3LYP, ωB97XD and LC-ωPBE). The calculated structural parameters and theoretical spectra have been compared to the corresponding experimental data. It is shown that the LC-ωPBE scheme is superior to other DFT methods in predicting the geometry of cisplatin. Unfortunately, the M06-L, M06-2X and B3LYP functionals are deficient in the evaluation of the strength of two Pt←NH3 coordination bonds in cisplatin (the calculated bond lengths are too long and the Pt-N stretching frequencies are underestimated). Both the PBE0 and mPW1PW functionals, in conjunction with the LanL2TZ(f) basis set for Pt give very similar theoretical results and seem to be the best methods for predicting the IR and Raman spectra of cisplatin. The long-range corrected functionals (LC-ωPBE, ωB97XD and CAM-B3LYP) have shown good performances in predicting the frequencies of Pt-ligand vibrations and are promising new tools for theoretical study of novel platinum(II) compounds.

The status of platinum anticancer drugs in the clinic and in clinical trials

Since its approval in 1979 cisplatin has become an important component in chemotherapy regimes for the treatment of ovarian, testicular, lung and bladder cancers, as well as lymphomas, myelomas and melanoma. Unfortunately its continued use is greatly limited by severe dose limiting side effects and intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Over the last 30 years, 23 other platinum-based drugs have entered clinical trials with only two (carboplatin and oxaliplatin) of these gaining international marketing approval, and another three (nedaplatin, lobaplatin and heptaplatin) gaining approval in individual nations. During this time there have been more failures than successes with the development of 14 drugs being halted during clinical trials. Currently there are four drugs in the various phases of clinical trial (satraplatin, picoplatin, Lipoplatin and ProLindac). No new small molecule platinum drug has entered clinical trials since 1999 which is representative of a shift in focus away from drug design and towards drug delivery in the last decade. In this perspective article we update the status of platinum anticancer drugs currently approved for use, those undergoing clinical trials and those discontinued during clinical trials, and discuss the results in the context of where we believe the field will develop over the next decade.

Role of cytokines in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most frequent cancers and standard treatment has only marginally improved the 5-year survival rate of patients with this disease in the last few decades. It is supposed that cytokine alterations in immune, inflammatory and angiogenetic regulatory routes within the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment play a critical role in tumor aggressiveness, its response to chemo- and radiation therapies, as well as the development of immune escape mechanisms.