Abstract

A very promising direction in the development of anticancer drugs is inhibiting the molecular pathways that keep cancer cells alive and able to metastasize. Copper and iron are two essential metals that play significant roles in the rapid proliferation of cancer cells and several chelators have been studied to suppress the bioavailability of these metals in the cells. This review discusses the major contributions that Cu and Fe play in the progression and spreading of cancer and evaluates select Cu and Fe chelators that demonstrate great promise as anticancer drugs. Efforts to improve the cellular delivery, efficacy, and tumor responsiveness of these chelators are also presented including a transmetallation strategy for dual targeting of Cu and Fe. To elucidate the effectiveness and specificity of Cu and Fe chelators for treating cancer, analytical tools are described for measuring Cu and Fe levels and for tracking the metals in cells, tissue, and the body.

Details

Title
Iron and Copper Intracellular Chelation as an Anticancer Drug Strategy
Author
Gaur, Kavita 1 ; Vázquez-Salgado, Alexandra M 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Duran-Camacho, Geraldo 1 ; Dominguez-Martinez, Irivette 1 ; Benjamín-Rivera, Josué A 1 ; Fernández-Vega, Lauren 1 ; Lesly Carmona Sarabia 1 ; Angelys Cruz García 1 ; Pérez-Deliz, Felipe 1 ; Méndez Román, José A 1 ; Vega-Cartagena, Melissa 1 ; Loza-Rosas, Sergio A 1 ; Xaymara Rodriguez Acevedo 1 ; Tinoco, Arthur D 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, Río Piedras, PR 00931, USA 
2  Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, Río Piedras, PR 00931, USA 
First page
126
Publication year
2018
Publication date
2018
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
23046740
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics6040126
ProQuest document ID
2582803037
Copyright
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.