Platinum and ruthenium complexes for the therapy of breast cancer diseases

Abstract

Breast cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, and new therapies for the treatment of this dangerous disease are desperately sought for. Complexes of metals such as platinum and ruthenium have been frequently found efficacious against breast tumors, in particular highly aggressive multidrug resistant and triple-negative subtypes. Numerous platinum and ruthenium complexes with enhanced selectivity for breast cancer and with reduced side effects have been developed recently. This chapter is intended to give an insight into the latest developments in the field of platinum and ruthenium based drugs against breast cancer. Chemical formulae and a brief description of the manifold biological activities of some important such compounds are provided which might be of interest to inorganic chemists, medicinal chemists, biologists, and clinicians alike.