Current Progresses in Metal-based Anticancer Complexes as Mammalian TrxR Inhibitors

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Oncology

Background:

• Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are vital for cell function but excessive ROS in cancer cells causes oxidative damage.
• Cancer cells exploit thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a ROS-scavenging enzyme, to survive oxidative stress.
• TrxR overexpression in tumors makes it a key target for anticancer drug development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of metallodrugs targeting mammalian thioredoxin reductase (TrxR).
• To discuss the anticancer potential and cytotoxicity of various metal complexes against tumor cells.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on metallodrugs and TrxR.
• Analysis of cytotoxicity data for various metal complexes (gold, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, iron, palladium, silver, antimony, bismuth, tin).

Main Results:

• Numerous metal complexes, including gold and platinum, effectively target TrxR.
• These metallodrugs demonstrate significant cytotoxicity against various tumor cell lines.
• The review covers a broad spectrum of metals investigated for TrxR inhibition.

Conclusions:

• Metallodrugs targeting TrxR represent a promising strategy for developing new anticancer agents.
• Inhibition of TrxR by metal complexes can overcome cancer cell resistance to oxidative stress.
• Further research into these metallodrugs could lead to novel clinical applications in cancer chemotherapy.