Structural studies of dicycloplatin, an antitumor supramolecule

The solubility and stability of platinum-based anticancer agents have a direct bearing on their activity and toxicity. Much research has been conducted over the past decades in order to prepare drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity. Based on the premise that supramolecular platinum agents may have superior physicochemical properties, we successfully designed a novel anticancer agent, dicycloplatin, which has proven to be active against a number of human malignancies. The crystal structure of dicycloplatin has been determined. An aqueous solution of dicycloplatin was also studied using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Based on the experimental observations, a model of the structure in aqueous solution is proposed which explains both the higher solubility and higher stability of dicycloplatin compared with carboplatin.