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Published on: September 19, 2014
Potential and Applications of Mn Complexes in Breast Cancer
Jiaming Guo1,2, Tongfu Yang2, Dingling Li2
1Department of Geriatric Medicine, Longgang Central Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Abstract:
Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality among women worldwide, and triple-negative breast cancer continues to show poor clinical outcomes due to the absence of actionable targets. As platinum-based therapies face well-recognized limitations related to toxicity, resistance, and restricted mechanisms of action, manganese (Mn) complexes have recently attracted interest as non-platinum metallodrugs with multimodal antitumor activity, including DNA interaction, Fenton-like ROS generation, and immunomodulation such as activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. This narrative review summarizes studies identified through PubMed and Web of Science searches up to April 2025 and integrates current progress on Mn complexes in breast cancer, including their cytotoxic effects, immune-related functions, and emerging theranostic applications. Representative complexes are compared in terms of structure, activity, and early structure-activity features. At the same time, key translational challenges-including solubility, kinetic and redox stability, bioavailability, and Mn-specific toxicity such as neurotoxicity-are highlighted alongside the limited pharmacokinetic and safety data currently available. Overall, this review outlines both the therapeutic potential and the practical limitations of Mn complexes and identifies research priorities needed to advance these agents toward meaningful clinical translation in breast cancer.
Insights
Manganese complexes show promise for treating breast cancer by killing cancer cells and modulating the immune system. However, challenges like solubility and toxicity must be addressed for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Metallodrugs
- Cancer Therapeutics
- Immunomodulation
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer lacks effective treatments due to absent targets.
- Platinum-based drugs have limitations including toxicity and resistance.
- Manganese (Mn) complexes offer multimodal antitumor activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review progress on Mn complexes in breast cancer therapy.
- To explore their cytotoxic, immune-related, and theranostic applications.
- To identify translational challenges and research priorities.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of studies from PubMed and Web of Science up to April 2025.
- Integration of current research on Mn complexes in breast cancer.
- Comparison of representative Mn complexes based on structure and activity.
Main Results:
- Mn complexes exhibit cytotoxic effects, DNA interaction, ROS generation, and cGAS-STING pathway activation.
- Early structure-activity relationships are emerging.
- Key challenges include solubility, stability, bioavailability, and Mn-specific toxicity.
Conclusions:
- Mn complexes hold therapeutic potential for breast cancer, particularly triple-negative types.
- Significant translational hurdles remain, including limited pharmacokinetic and safety data.
- Further research is crucial for clinical advancement of Mn-based agents.
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