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Review
. 2019 Jun 5;11(6):780.
doi: 10.3390/cancers11060780.

Gold as a Possible Alternative to Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer Treatment

Inés Mármol  1 , Javier Quero  2 , María Jesús Rodríguez-Yoldi  3 , Elena Cerrada  4
Affiliations
Review

Gold as a Possible Alternative to Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer Treatment

Inés Mármol et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Due to the increasing incidence and high mortality associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Classic chemotherapy against CRC is based on oxaliplatin and other cisplatin analogues; however, platinum-based therapy lacks selectivity to cancer cells and leads to deleterious side effects. In addition, tumor resistance to oxaliplatin is related to chemotherapy failure. Gold(I) derivatives are a promising alternative to platinum complexes, since instead of interacting with DNA, they target proteins overexpressed on tumor cells, thus leading to less side effects than, but a comparable antitumor effect to, platinum derivatives. Moreover, given the huge potential of gold nanoparticles, the role of gold in CRC chemotherapy is not limited to gold(I) complexes. Gold nanoparticles have been found to be able to overcome multidrug resistance along with reduced side effects due to a more efficient uptake of classic drugs. Moreover, the use of gold nanoparticles has enhanced the effect of traditional therapies such as radiotherapy, photothermal therapy, or photodynamic therapy, and has displayed a potential role in diagnosis as a consequence of their optic properties. Herein, we have reviewed the most recent advances in the use of gold(I) derivatives and gold nanoparticles in CRC therapy.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; gold nanoparticles; gold(I) complexes; photodynamic therapy; photothermal therapy; radiotherapy; reactive oxygen species; theragnosis; thioredoxin reductase.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Gold(I) derivatives with monodentate phosphanes.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Gold(I) derivatives with bidentate phosphanes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Thiolate phosphane gold(I) derivatives.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gold(I) compounds with S-donor ligands.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Carbene gold(I) derivatives based on the 4,5-diarylimidazol moiety.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Structures of carbene gold(I) complexes.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Structures of Au-NHC complexes.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Alkynyl gold(I) derivatives.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Mono and polinuclear alkynyl gold(I) derivatives.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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