Reactions of Anticancer Analogs with Proteins and DNA

Several platinum (II) compounds are known to demonstrate anticancer activity. In particular, platinum compounds of a “triamine” structure are known to contribute significantly to cell toxicity. Here, we have investigated platinum triamine complex that mimics the size and shape of other potential anticancer drugs. We observed the reactions between our platinum compound and small-molecule models of proteins and DNA. Our platinum compound was reacted with an amino acid (N-acetyl-L-methionine) and a nucleotide (guanosine monophosphate) with the expectation that either the methionine or the guanine would react. However, under some conditions, both the methionine and the guanine were shown to react with the platinum compound. The unique behavior of our compound is one that may be exploited in the design of future platinum-based drugs. An insight into the conditions that cause such unusual behavior could potentially be used to improve the efficacy of anticancer drugs used in chemotherapeutics.