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Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
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Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Published on: September 7, 2019

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Zinc-Containing Metalloenzymes: Inhibition by Metal-Based Anticancer Agents

Ruirong Ye1,2, Caiping Tan2, Bichun Chen1

  • 1Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.

Frontiers in Chemistry
|June 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Platinum anticancer drugs cause side effects and resistance. This review explores novel metal-based agents targeting zinc enzymes like HDACs, CAs, and MMPs, offering new cancer treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Platinum-based anticancer drugs target DNA, leading to significant side effects and drug resistance.
  • Zinc-containing metalloenzymes are crucial in cancer development and represent promising alternative therapeutic targets.
  • Metal complexes offer unique advantages for enzyme inhibition due to their structural versatility and tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in metal-based anticancer agents targeting zinc-containing metalloenzymes.
  • To highlight the potential of inhibiting specific zinc enzymes overexpressed in tumors.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of metal-based anticancer agents and their mechanisms of action.
  • Focus on inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs), carbonic anhydrases (CAs), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).

Main Results:

  • Metal complexes can be designed with high selectivity and affinity for enzyme targets.
  • The photophysical, photochemical, and redox properties of metal complexes enable multi-modal inhibition strategies.
  • Several metal-based agents show promise in targeting key zinc enzymes implicated in cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Zinc-containing metalloenzymes are viable targets for novel metal-based anticancer therapies.
  • Metal complexes offer a promising platform for developing next-generation cancer treatments with improved efficacy and reduced side effects.
Keywords:
anticancercarbonic anhydrasesenzyme inhibitionhistone deacetylasesmatrix metalloproteinasesmetallodrugs

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