Noble Metals in Medicine Transition Metal Complexes as Drugs and Chemotherapeutic Agents BY NICHOLASFARRELL, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1989, 291 pages, ISBN 90-277-2828-3, Dfl. 180.00, €59.00 A number of books dealing with the generally having mechanisms of action different biological activity, particularly the therapeutic from that of cisplatin. In some cases metal ions activity, of metal complexes have been publish- are acting by enhancing cellular uptake of ac- ed in recent years. Interest in the field has been tive ligands, a principle which is exemplified promoted by the clinical use of a number of several more times in subsequent chapters deal- precious metal complexes, including ing with anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti- anti-cancer, anti-arthritis and anti- arthritic activity. bacterial agents. Now a useful new addition to The utilisation of the redox properties of the literature has been published, somewhat metal compounds is illustrated by a chapter oddly, as Volume I I in the series “Catalysis by devoted to metal ions as mediators of the anti- Metal Complexes”. tumour action of antibiotics such as the In addition to an introduction and appendices bleomycins. Binding of a metal ion, for exam- the book contains 12 chapters, the first six of ple (II), to the antibiotic is believed to be which are devoted primarily to the anti-tumour involved in generating activated oxygen species activity of metal complexes, an area to which leading to oxidative cleavage of DNA. the author has made a number of interesting Another chapter discusses the interaction of contributions through his publications on metal complexes with radiation in biological platinum complexes. After discussing the varie- systems, through which increased effectiveness ty of interactions possible between metal com- of radiotherapy may be achieved; while a plexes and DNA, two chapters are devoted to miscellany of applications including the use of the discovery and development of platinum metal compounds as diuretics and vasodilators anti-tumour agents. As is inevitable due to the is given in the final chapter. length of time required to complete a book of Throughout the book the author is keen to this type, the author is unable to provide details emphasise the diversity of mechanisms by of the most recent work, such as the clinical which different metal complexes exert their ac- development of the second generation platinum tion, while at the same time noting that com- drugs, but provides a broadly based review of pounds are often active against a number of structure-activity studies. disease states, for example cisplatin, although A detailed account of the interaction of this has utility only in the treatment of cancer. platinum complexes with DNA components The book is clearly written and structured so and its relevance to the molecular mechanism of that each chapter stands alone with its own in- their anti-tumour action is followed by a troduction, summary and references. Informa- chapter on platinum-pyrimidine blues. tion is included on the historical development Although these compounds are unlikely to of metal-based chemotherapy and overall the achieve clinical use because of their lack of book provides an excellent series of pieces for homogeneity and variability in synthesis, they use in support of undergraduate courses as well are of chemical interest due to their unusual as providing suitable introductory material for oligomeric structure incorporating platinum graduate students setting out on research in this atoms of differing oxidation states. field. Students using the book will also find a A chapter on the anti-tumour properties of useful list of abbreviations, a glossary of terms other metal compounds emphasises the variety and definitions and an appendix dealing with of structures for which activity has been noted, DNA structure. C.F.J.B.

Platinum Metals Rev., 1990, 34, (l), 15 15