Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Introduction

  • Chapter
Metal Compounds in Cancer Therapy

Abstract

As has often been the case in the history of medicine, the discovery of the first metal anticancer drug was serendipitous. Barnett Rosenberg, the Professor of Biophysics at Michigan State University, USA, was interested in the resemblance between the mitotic spindle of dividing cells and the lines of magnetic force as visualized by iron filings around a magnet. He decided to examine the effect of electric fields on growing cells. Initial studies were performed with the bacterium Escherichia coli, grown in a culture apparatus containing platinum electrodes. Under these conditions the bacteria formed large filaments up to 300 times their normal length. This phenomenon of filamentous growth is indicative of inhibition of cell division but with continued cell growth (Rosenberg, Van Camp and Krigas, 1965). Subsequent investigations demonstrated that this effect on E. colicell division was not caused by the electric field but by an electrolysis product formed by the interaction of dissolved platinum from the electrodes with ammonium in the culture medium (Rosenberg et al, 1967). The product formed was identified as (NH4)2[PtCl6]. This in turn was converted by a photochemical reaction to cis-[PtCl4(NH3)2].

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Barry, M. A., Behnke, C. A. and Eastman, A. (1990) Activation of programmed cell death (apoptosis) by cisplatin, other anticancer drugs, toxins and hyperthermia. Biochem. Pharmacol, 40, 2353–2362.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Basu, A., Teicher, B. A. and Lazo, J. S. (1990) Involvement of protein kinase C in phorbol ester-induced sensitization of HeLa cells to cis-diamminedichlo-roplatinum(II). J. Biol. Chem., 265, 8451–8457.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Basu, A., Kozikowski, A. P., Sato, K. and Lazo, J. S. (1991) Cellular sensitization to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) by novel analogues of the protein kinase C activator lyngbyatoxin A. Cancer Res., 51, 2511–2514.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berger, D. P., Henβ, H., Winterhalter, B. R. and Fiebig, H. H. (1990) The clonogenic assay with human tumour xenografts: evaluation, predictive value and application for drug screening. Ann. Oncol., 1, 333–341.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berridge, M. J., Downes, P. C. and Hanley, M. R. (1982) Lithium amplifies agonist-dependent phosphatidylinositol responses in brain and salivary glands. Biochem. J., 206, 587–595.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, M. J. (1991) Molecular themes in oncogenesis. Cell, 64, 235–248.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bockman, R., Adelman, R., Donnelly, R. et al. (1990) Gallium, a unique anti-resorptive agent in bone: pre-clinical studies on its mechanism of action, in Metal Ions in Biology and Medicine (eds Ph. Collery, L. A. Poirier, M. Manfait and J. C. Etienne), John Libbey, Eurotext, Paris, pp. 426–431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boven, E., Winograd, B. Berger, D. P. et al. (1992) Phase II preclinical drug screening in human tumour xenografts: a first European multicenter collaborative study. Cancer Res., 52, 5940–5947.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, M. R. (1989) Status of the NCI preclinical antitumor drug discovery screen, in Cancer, Principles and Practice of Oncology Updates, Vol. 3 (10) (eds V. T. DeVita, Jr, S. Hellman and S. Rosenberg), J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, pp. 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, S. L., Toney, J. H. and Lippard, S. J. (1990) Biological processing of DNA modified by platinum compounds, in Progress in Inorganic Chemistry: Bioinorganic Chemistry, Vol. 38 (ed. S. J. Lippard), John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, pp. 477–516.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantley, L. C., Auger, K. R., Carpenter, C. et al. (1991) Oncogenes and signal ransduction. Cell, 64, 281–302.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, C.-J. and Geahlen, R. L. (1992) Protein-tyrosine kinase inhibition: mechanism based discovery of antitumor agents. J. Nat. Prod., 55(11), 1529–1560.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christen, R. D., Horn, D. K., Porter, D. C. et al. (1990) Epidermal growth factor regulates the in vitro sensitivity of human ovarian carcinoma cells to cisplatin. J. Clin. Invest., 86.6, 1632–1640.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cleare, M. J. and Hydes, P. C. (1980) Antitumor properties of metal complexes, in Metal Ions in Biological Systems, Vol. II (ed. H. Sigel), Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 1–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collery, Ph., Morel, M., Desoize, B. et al. (1991) Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and gallium chloride for lung cancer: individual adaptation of doses. Anticancer Res., 11, 1529–1532.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Corbett, T. H., Valeriote, F. A. and Baker, L. H. (1987) Is the P388 murine tumour no longer adequate as a drug discovery model? Invest. New Drugs, 5, 3–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dive, C. and Hickman, J. A. (1991) Drug target interactions: only the first step in the commitment to a programmed cell death? Br. J. Cancer, 64, 192–196.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Double, J. A. (1992) Selectivity and potency; are we doing the right things to find anti-cancer agents with these properties? Br. ]. Cancer, 65, 143–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fiebig, H. H., Winterhalter, B., Berger, D. P. and Löhr, G. W. (1989) Combined in vitro/in vivo test procedure with human tumour xenografts for anticancer drug development. Strahlenther. Onkol., 165, 522–554.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, C. S., Kimes, B. W., Martin, M. R. and Marks, C. L. (1989) An overview of tumor biology. Cancer Invest., 7(3), 247–265.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fricker, S. P. (1990) Screening for new metal anti-tumour agents, in Metal Ions in Biology and Medicine(eds Ph. Collery, L. A. Poirier, M. Manfait and J-C. Etienne), John Libbey Eurotext, Paris, pp. 452–456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fricker, S. P. and Buckley, R. G. (1989) Characterisation of a human tumour cell line panel for screening of anti-tumour agents in vitro. Biochem. Soc. Trans., 17, 1049–1050.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frühauf, S. and Zeller, W. J. (1991) New platinum, titanium and ruthenium complexes with different patterns of DNA damage in rat ovarian tumour cells. Cancer Res., 51, 2943–2948.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garzon, F. T., Berger, M. R., Keppler, B. K. and Schmähl, D. (1987) Comparative antitumour activity of ruthenium derivatives with 5-deoxy-5-fluorouridine in chemically induced colorectal tumours in SD rats. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol, 19, 347–349.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldin, A., Schepartz, S. A., Venditti, J. M. and Devita, V. T. Jr (1979) Historical development and current strategy of the National Cancer Institute drug development program, in Methods in Cancer Research, Vol. XVI (eds V. T. Devita Jr and H. Busch), Academic Press, New York, pp. 164–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, R. S. and Mayor, G. H. (1983) The nephrotoxicity of cisplatin. Life Sci., 32, 685–690.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grindey, G. B. (1990) Current status of cancer drug development: failure or limited success? Cancer Cells, 2(6), 163–171.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haiduc, I. and Silvestru, C. (1989) Rhodium, indium, copper and gold antitumour organometallic compounds. In Vivo, 3, 285–294.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, T. G. and Schaiff, R. A. B. (1993) Update on the medical treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy. Clin. Pharm., 12, 117–125.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harder, H. C. and Rosenberg, B. (1970) Inhibitory effects of anti-tumor platinum compounds on DNA, RNA and protein synthesis in mammalian cells in vitro. Int. J. Cancer, 6, 207–216.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrap, K. R. (1985) Preclinical studies identifying carboplatin as a viable cisplatin alternative. Cancer Treat. Rev., 12 (supplement A), 21–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrap, K. R. Jones, M., Goddard, P. M. et al. (1988) Drug resistance as a focus for new drug design, in Mechanism of Drug Resistance in Neoplastic Cells(eds P. V. Woolley III and K. D. Tew), Bristol-Myers Cancer Symposium, Vol. 9, Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 307–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, D. M., Cvitkovic, E., Golbey, R. B. et al. (1977) High dose cis-platinum diammine dichloride. Cancer, 39, 1372–1381.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Higby, D. J., Wallace, H. J. Jr, Albert, D. and Holland, J. F. (1974) Diammine dichloro-platinum in the chemotherapy of testicular tumours. J. Urol, 112, 100–104.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins III, J. D., Neely, L. and Flicker, S. P. (1993) Synthesis and cytotoxicity of some cyclometallated palladium complexes. J. Inorg. Biochem., 49, 149–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horwich, A. (1989) Germ cell tumour chemotherapy. Br. J. Cancer, 59(2), 156–159

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Isonishi, S., Andrews, P. A. and Ho well, S. B. (1990) Increased sensitivity to cis-diammine dichloroplatinum(II) in human ovarian carcinoma cells in response to treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. J. Biol. Chem., 265, 3623–3627.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. K. and Hertzberg, R. P. (1989) Mechanism-based discovery of anticancer agents. Ann. Rep. Med. Chem., 25, 129–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jurisson, S., Berning, D., Jia, W. and Ma, D. (1993) Coordination compounds in nuclear medicine. Chem. Rev., 93(3), 1137–1156.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalirai, B. S., Foulon, J-D., Hamor, T. A. et al. (1991) Some substitution reactions of ligands coordinated to the bis(cyclopentadienyl)-titanium moiety, the X-ray crystal structure of Ti (η5-C5H5)2(OPh)2 and an assessment of the anti-tumour activity of some cyclopentadienyl titanium compounds. Polyhedron, 10(16), 1847–1856.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keck, M. V. and Lippard, S. J. (1992) Unwinding of supercoiled DNA by platinum-ethidium and related complexes. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 114, 3386–3390.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelland, L. R., Jones, M., Abel, G. and Harrap, K. R. (1992a) Human ovarian carcinoma cell lines and companion xenografts: a disease oriented approach to new platinum anticancer drugs. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol, 30, 43–50.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelland, L.R., Murrer, B. A., Abel, G. et al. (1992b) Ammine/amine platinum(IV) dicarboxylates: a novel class of platinum complex exhibiting selective toxicity to intrinsically cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cell lines. Cancer Res., 52, 822–828.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keppler, B. K., Berger, M. R., Klenner, T. H. and Heim, M. E. (1990) Metal complexes as antitumour agents. Adv. Drug Res., 19, 243–310.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Köpf-Maier, P. and Köpf, H. (1987) Non-platinum-group metal antitumor agents: history, current status, and perspectives. Chem. Rev., 87, 1137–1152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korbelik, M. (1991) Photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy. Periodicum Biologorum, 93(4), 563–574.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lempers, E. L. M. and Reedijk, J. (1991) Interactions of platinum amine compounds with sulfur-containing biomolecules and DNA fragments. Adv. Inorg.Chem., 37, 175–217.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lerea, K. M., Tonks, N., Krebs, E. G. et al. (1989) Vanadate and molybdate increase tyrosine phosphorylation in a 50-kilodalton protein and stimulate secretion in electropermeabilized platelets. Biochemistry, 28, 9286–9292.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liotta, L. A., Steeg, P. S. and Stettler-Stevenson, W. G. (1991) Cancer metastasis and angiogenesis: an imbalance of positive and negative regulation. Cell, 64, 327–336.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, C. J. (1991) Tumour suppressor genes. Cell, 64, 313–326.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marsoni, S., Hoth, D., Simon, R. et al. (1987) Clinical drug development: an analysis of phase II trials, 1970-1985. Cancer Treat. Rep., 71, 71–80.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, D. S., Balis, M. E., Fisher, B. et al. (1986) Role of murine tumor models in cancer treatment research. Cancer Res., 46, 2189–2192.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mattern, J., Bak, M., Hahn, E. and Volm, M. (1988) Human tumor xenografts as model for drug testing. Cancer Metastasis Rev., 7, 263–284.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neijt, J. P., ten Bokkel Huinink, W. W., van der Berg, M. E. L. et al. (1991) Long term survival in ovarian cancer. Mature data from The Netherlands Joint Study Group for Ovarian Cancer. Eur. ]. Cancer, 27(11), 1367–1372.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paget, S. (1889) The distribution of secondary growth in cancer of the breast. Lancet, 1, 571–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkinson, D. R., Smith, M. A., Cheson, D. et al. (1992) Trans-retinoic acid and related differentiation agents. Semin. Oncol., 19(6), 734–741.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, R. M., Bibby, M. C. and Double, J. A. (1990) A critical appraisal of the predictive value of in vitrochemosensitivity assays. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 82(18), 1457–1468.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Picker, D. H. and Abrams, M. J. (1988) Metal-based radiosensitizers, in Metal-based Anti-tumour Drugs (ed. M. F. Gielen), Freund Publishing House, London, pp. 257–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powis, G. and Kozikowski, A. (1991) Growth factor and oncogene signalling pathways as targets for rational anticancer drug development. Clin. Bio-chem., 24, 385–397.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pyle, A. M. and Barton, J. K. (1990) Probing nucleic acids with transition metal complexes, in Progress in Inorganic Chemistry: Bioinorganic Chemistry, Vol. 38 (ed. S. J. Lippard), John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 413–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich, R., Thompson, E. W., Iwamoto, Y. et al. (1988) Effects of inhibitors of plasminogen activator, serine proteases and collagenase IV on the invasion of basement membranes by metastatic cells. Cancer Res., 48, 3307–3312.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, J. D., Van Houten, B., Qu, Y. and Farrell, N. P. (1989) Interaction of novel bis(platinum)complexes with DNA. Nucl. Acids Res., 17(23), 9719–9733.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, J. J. and Thomson, A. J. (1979) The mechanism of action of antitumor platinum compounds. Prog. Nucleic Acid Res. Mol BioL, 22, 71–133.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, B., Van Camp, L. and Krigas, T. (1965) Inhibition of cell division in Escherichia coli by electrolysis products from a platinum electrode. Nature, 205, 698–699.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, B., Van Camp, L., Grimley, E. B. and Thomson, A. J. (1967) The inhibition of growth or cell division in Escherichia coli by different ionic species of platinum complexes. J. Biol Chem., 242, 1347–1352.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, B., Van Camp, L., Trosko, J. E. and Mansour, V. H. (1969) Platinum compounds: a new class of potent antitumor agents. Nature, 222, 385–386.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, A., Manzo, L., Orrenius, S. et al. (1991) Modifications of cell signalling in the cytotoxicity of metals. Pharmacol Toxicol, 68, 424–429.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruddon, R. W. (1987) Cancer Biology, Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sava, G., Pacor, S., Zorzet, S. et al. (1989) Antitumour properties of dimethylsul-phoxide ruthenium(II) complexes in the Lewis Lung carcinoma system. Pharmacol Res., 21(5), 617–628.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sava, G., Pacor, S., Mestroni, G. and Alessio, E. (1992) Effects of the Ru(III) complexes [mer-RuCl3(DMSO)2Im] and Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO)Im] on solid mouse tumours. Anti-Cancer Drugs, 3, 25–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schechter, Y. and Karlish, S. J. D. (1980) Insulin-like stimulation of glucose oxidation in rat adipocytes by vanadyl(IV) ions. Nature, 284, 556–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartsmann, G. and Workman, P. (1993) Anticancer drug screening and discovery in the 1990s: a European perspective. Eur. ]. Cancer, 29A(1), 3–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, S. and D’lncalci, M. (1992) Apoptosis. Biochemical events and relevance to cancer chemotherapy. FEBSLett., 307(1), 122–127.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, S. E. and Lippard, S. J. (1987) Structural aspects of platinum anticancer drug interactions with DNA. Chem. Rev., 87, 1153–1181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shimoyama, Y., Kubota, T., Watanabe, M. et al. (1989) Predictability of in vivo chemosensitivity by in vitro MTT assay with reference to the clonogenic assay. J. Surg. Oncol., 41, 12–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sugiura, Y., Takita, T. and Umezawa, Y. (1986) Bleomycin antibiotics: metal complexes and their biological action, in Metal Ions in Biological Systems, Vol. 19 (ed. H. Sigel), Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 81–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varmus, H. (1989) An historical overview of oncogenes, in Oncogenes and the Molecular Origins of Cancer (ed. R. A. Weinberg), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, pp. 3–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venditti, J. M., Wesley, R. A. and Plowman, J. (1984) Current NCI pre-clinical anti-tumor screening in vivo: results of tumour panel screening, 1976-1982, and future directions, in Advances in Pharmacology and Chemotherapy, Vol. 20 (eds S. Garattini, A. Goldin and F. Hawking), Academic Press, New York, pp. 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warrell, R. P. Jr, Bockman, R. S., Coonley, C. J. et al. (1984) Gallium nitrate inhibits calcium resorption and is effective treatment for cancer-related hypercalemia. J. Clin. Invest., 73, 1487–1490.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiltshaw, E. and Carr, T. (1974) Cis-platinum(II) diamminedichloride: clinical experience of the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research. Rec. Res. Cancer Res., 48, 178–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyllie, A. H. (1985) The biology of cell death in tumours. Anticancer Res., 5, 131–136.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Simon P. Fricker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Reading, UK

    Simon P. Fricker

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fricker, S.P. (1994). Introduction. In: Fricker, S.P. (eds) Metal Compounds in Cancer Therapy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1252-9_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1252-9_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4545-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1252-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation