Alexandra R. Fernandes is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Life Sciences, FCT-NOVA where she leads the group of Cancer Therapeutics dedicated to assessing novel compounds against tumor cells and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. She has obtained her PhD in Biotechnology from IST-UL and, before joining FCT-NOVA, was responsible for setting up key molecular genetics diagnostics facilities in Portugal.
Metals have unique characteristics such as variable coordination modes, redox activity, and reactivity being indispensable for several biochemical processes in cells. Due to their reactivity, their concentration is tightly regulated inside the cells, and abnormal concentrations are associated with many disorders, such as cancer. As such metal complexes turned out to be very attractive as potential anticancer agents. The discovery of cisplatin was a crucial moment, which prompted the interest in Pt(II) and other metal complexes as potential anticancer agents. This chapter highlights the state of the art on metal complexes in cancer therapy, highlighting their uptake mechanisms, biological targets, toxicity, and drug resistance. Finally, based on the importance of selective target of cancer cells, drug delivery systems will also be discussed.
Part of the book: Basic Concepts Viewed from Frontier in Inorganic Coordination Chemistry