A comparison of the molecular pharmacology of gold and platinum complexes

Auranofin and cisplatinum have antiarthritic, and antineoplastic activities respectively. Because of the chemical and biological similarities of the two compounds and the extensive studies on molecular pharmacology of cisplatinum, the information about the molecular and pharmacologic effects of these agents is presented and compared. Gold and platinum complexes both can exist in several oxidation states and form coordinate complexes of varying geometry and complexity. Gold complexes interact with bases and nucleosides but relatively little is known about their interaction with polynucleotides. Extrapolating from an understanding of the interactions of platinum complexes with polynucleotides, a number of proposals for additional research on gold complexes are presented. Substantially more information is available concerning the interactions of gold complexes and various proteins. The effects of gold complexes on intracellular macromolecules and their synthesis are poorly understood and should be studied using systems employed to study platinum analogues. It is suggested that 2 dimensional gel electrophoresis of various cellular proteins be employed to determine to which intracellular protein gold complexes bind.