Toward Selective Anticancer Agents: Ferrocene‐Steroid Conjugates

Abstract

AbstractThe medicinal chemistry of ferrocene is a diverse and rapidly growing field. In the search for selective and more efficient anticancer drugs, ferrocene‐steroid conjugates were explored in the past as a tool to target hormone‐dependent cancer cells, notably those of breast and prostate cancers. The mechanisms by which ferrocene compounds induce cytotoxicity are first examined, as well as how they can be exploited to design conjugates of ferrocene with steroid hormones potentially acting as selective antineoplastics. We sought to cover all relevant literature related to ferrocene‐steroid conjugates, from early works published in the 1970s up to now. Particular attention was bestowed upon research where the conjugates were tested for their antitumor potential.