Metal-based Chemotherapeutics Targeting Oral Cancer: A Review

Oral cancer, primarily oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), remains a significant global health challenge due to its high morbidity, frequent late-stage diagnosis, and limited therapeutic options. Metal-based chemotherapeutics have emerged as promising anticancer agents due to their unique physicochemical properties. These drugs can induce cell apoptosis via different mechanisms, such as the generation of free radicals, oxidative stress, inhibition of certain enzymes, and DNA binding ability. The above-mentioned properties lead to the development of metal-based drugs as a strategy for OSCC. Moreover, the metal complexes enhance cell apoptosis through disturbing different cancer pathways, as well as the suppression of certain gene expression responsible for cancer. Also, the emergence of a hybrid approach that constitutes both the metal center and organic linkers, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), has been used as a carrier of anticancer drugs, detection, imaging, and release of drugs at the acidic pH of the cancer cells has opened new biocompatible and tunable platforms for cancer treatment. This review focuses on the applications of metal-based drugs, such as coordination complexes, MOFs, and metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, and their recent development in the treatment of oral cancer, with special emphasis on their mode of action, clinical applications, and biocompatibility. We expect that the current review will provide comprehensive details and guidance on the development of metal-based chemotherapeutic agents and their current applications in oral cancer.