Inorganic drugs have been receiving much less attention than the prevalent organic therapeutics such as natural products, RNA, antibody, protein, stem cells, and other biologics. Non-carbon elements have diverse chemistry and demonstrate unique pharmacological effects on living systems with potential medical applications. Developing inorganic drugs will not only have high scientific merit but also may offer novel therapeutic regimens for diseases. We will present our recent discovery of a new type of inorganic drugs that kill cancer cells through cellular catalysis. This class of agents exhibits highly anticancer potency and selectivity. The <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> studies show the significant tumor-inhibition efficacy of the lead compound. The core structure of the inorganic drugs is made of early transition metals and can be synthesized through the well-designed convenient protocols. The synthesis, characterization, and property of the compounds will be described. The design rationale of these therapeutic agents will also be discussed.

Design and synthesis of potent catalytic inorganic therapeutic agents for cancer

256th National Meeting (2018)

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