Presented by Dr. Darren Griffith – RCSI
Platinum anticancer drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin have played a very important role in the treatment of cancer worldwide and are employed in nearly 50% of anti-cancer regimens. The clinical effectiveness of platinum anticancer agents though is hampered by toxic side-effects and both intrinsic and acquired resistance.
In addition the exact mechanisms of action of platinum-based drugs have yet to be fully elucidated. There is therefore a clinical need to develop innovative strategies for the functionalization of platinum complexes with (i) active targeting agents and/or (ii) fluorescent reporters to selectively deliver and track platinum anti-cancer drugs.