Tailored Metal-Based Catalysts: A New Platform for Targeted Anticancer Therapies

Abstract

Innovative strategies for targeted anticancer therapies have gained significant momentum, with metal complexes emerging as tunable catalysts for more effective and safer treatments. Rational design and engineering of metal complexes enable the development of tailored molecular structures optimized for precision oncology. The strategic incorporation of metal complex catalysts within combinatorial therapies amplifies their anticancer properties. This perspective highlights the advancements in synthetic strategies and rational design since 2019, showing how tailored metal catalysts are optimized by designing structures to release or in situ synthesize active drugs, leveraging the target-specific characteristics to develop more precise cancer therapies. This review explores metal-based catalysts, including those conjugated with biomolecules, nanostructures, and metal−organic frameworks (MOFs), highlighting their catalytic activity in biological environments and their in vitro/in vivo performance. To sum up, the potential of metal complexes as catalysts to reshape the landscape of anticancer therapies and foster novel avenues for therapeutic advancement is emphasized. ■ SIGNIFICANCE• Metal complexes have been strategically engineered for precision oncology, offering an enhanced efficacy with reduced side effects. • Rational design and engineering of metal complexes enables the creation of customized molecular structures that release or synthesize active drugs directly at the target site, enhancing the precision of oncology treatments. • Cutting-edge strategies and advancements in drug design that combine metal complexes with advanced catalysis techniques to develop more effective and targeted anticancer drugs are presented.