Navigating the challenges of metallopharmaceutical agents: strategies and predictive modeling for skin cancer therapy

Current treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic chemotherapy are associated with aesthetic and functional morbidity, recurrence, and/or systemic toxicity. Although targeted therapies and immunotherapies offer clinical benefits, their high cost and limited accessibility underscore the need for innovative, affordable alternatives.

Metal-based compounds (metallopharmaceuticals) are promising anticancer agents due to their ability to induce oxidative stress, modulate redox pathways, and interact with DNA. However, clinical translation has been limited by poor aqueous solubility, rapid degradation, and low skin permeability. This review discusses the most recent preclinical findings on gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, vanadium, and copper complexes, mainly in topical and systemic treatments of SC.