Abstract

Platinum (Pt) analogues are the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents in oncology, used alone or co-administered with other anti-neoplastic therapy and/or radiation. Pt-based chemotherapies are prescribed to treat a wide spectrum of specific malignancies, including digestive, lung, head and neck, prostate, testicular, ovarian, bladder, cervical, breast, sarcomas and melanomas, as well as several hematological cancers. Patients treated with Pt-based chemotherapies suffer significant adverse effects, limiting their use. Management of these toxic effects is a key factor for successful therapy. Considering that relatively few Pt drugs are clinically and broadly used worldwide, understanding the biochemical and biological basis for resistance to Pt drugs is crucial. Thus, our aim is to summarize current knowledge of the chemical and biological features of Pt-based molecules used in chemotherapy, primarily focusing on its effects on cell function and how some of these changes drive cell resistance to Pt-based molecules.