Platinum complexes of N-donor ligands bearing sulfonamide groups as anti-cancer agents: A review

Abstract

Cancer has become a major health problem globally, and the trend of developing metal-based anticancer agents has evolved due to the greater cytotoxicity displayed by the metal complexes studied recently, including platinum and other transition metals. Different groups of anticancer drugs are employed in a clinical setting to treat different types of cancers. Platinum complexes, particularly cisplatin, is mostly utilized to treat various cancers worldwide. Nitrogen donors such as diethylenetriamine, dipicolylamine, ethylenediamine, etc. have been widely employed in the synthesis of many of the ligands which in turn are used to synthesize the relevant metal complexes possessing various biological properties. Furthermore, sulfonamide group and derivatives of sulfonamide have been incorporated into these metal complexes due to the variety of pharmacological properties it possesses, such as antibacterial, anti-carbonic anhydrase, antiprotease activities, etc. Most of these novel sulfonamide derivatives possess in vivo and in vitro anticancer activities. Platinum complexes bearing sulfonamide groups that have been studied recently have demonstrated significant anticancer activity in vitro. The therapeutic application of these platinum complexes will depend on pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and safety profile data obtained through the clinical trials. Most of the platinum complexes used in oncotherapy contain amines as ligands in their general formula. More research is needed for the development of the field by identifying the opportunities present in various aspects to discover more metal-based compounds to curb cancer worldwide.

Keywords: Anticancer, Dipicolylamine, N donor ligands, Sulfonamides, Pt complexes