Iodo-bridged binuclear platinum(II) complex[Pt( -NH 2 )I 2 ] 2 (BPA) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity, differential thermal analysis, IR, UV and 1 HNMR spectra techniques. The cytotoxicity of the complex was tested by MTT and SRB assays. The results show that complex BPA demonstrates better cytotoxicity than that of the clinically established cisplatin against EJ, HCT-8, BGC-823, HL-60 and MCF-7 cell lines. The complex BPA at concentrations of 1.00 and 2.00 μmol/L induces G 1 cell cycle arrest in HL-60 cells. The level of total platinum bound to DNA in HL-60 cells is significantly higher than that of cisplatin under the same experimental conditions. Acute toxicity experimental results indiacte that LD 50 of BPA is 815.3 mg/kg by intraperitoneal administration. BPA at dose of 12 mg/kg significantly inhibits the growth of nude mice implanted by human A2780 and HCT-116 carcinomas, and inhibition rate is similar to that of cisplatin at dose of 4 mg/kg by intraperitoneal administration. BPA at dose of 20 mg/kg inhibits the growth of nude mice implanted by human A549 carcinomas, but there was no significant statistical difference.Keywords: iodo-bridged binuclear platinum complex, platinum, cell cycle, antitumor.Cisplatin antitumor activity was discovered in 1967, and cisplatin entered clinical phase I trial in 1971, and was approved for clinical use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1979. Cisplatin is the first metal complex available for the treatment of a variety of malignancies and one of the most active chemotherapeutic agents. Since the introduction of cisplatin, thousands of Pt compounds have been synthesized and evaluated as potential antitumor agents. Much valuable work has also been done in China. Among the 33 platinum complexes which have entered clinical trials after the onset of clinical studies with cisplatin in the early 1970s, only carboplatin has received worldwide approval so far. In addition, some drugs (oxaliplatin, nedaplatin and lobaplatin) have also gained regionally limited approval. Despite their success, they have several disadvantages that include severe toxicity, natural and development resistance and a relatively narrow range of tumors. Because they are small molecules, they only can recognize 2-3 bases and damage easily DNA of normal cells. The binding-force of drug-DNA is very low. After mono-adducts formation, they will induce structure change of DNA (B type → Z type) and significantly decrease antitumor efficiency [1,2] . Now attention has been turned to the synthesis of "non-classical" platinum complexes-binuclear and multinuclear platinum complexes in order to overcome the above shortcomings [3,4] . Farrell [5] have extensively investigated binuclear platinum complexes, particularly the ones with the general formulas [{PtClm (NH 3 ) 3-m }μ-H 2 N-R-NH 2 -{PtCln(NH 3 ) 3-n }] [(2-m)+(2-n)]+ (m or n=0-3, R is a linear or substituted aliphatic linkers). For dicationic complexes with two [PtCl(NH 3 ) 2 (NH 2 R-)] centers, the cis-or tr...