Platinum Polyoxoniobates Form Adducts with DNA

Platinum complexes are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in cancer therapy but show significant toxicity to healthy tissues as a side effect. Platinum polyoxometalates are platinum complexes liganded with cluster anions consisting of oxygen atoms and transition metals. Their properties related to a potential use as anticancer drugs have never been studied. In this paper, we have investigated the effect of platinum (IV) polyoxoniobate of the [Nb₆O₁₉{Pt(OH)₂}]₂ structure containing two platinum centers and two polynuclear Lindqvist type anions on the activity of a number of DNA polymerases belonging to different families (Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, bacteriophage RB69 DNA polymerase, human DNA polymerases β and κ, DNA polymerase IV from Sulfolobus solfataricus). On its own, platinum polyoxoniobate did not act as an inhibitor of DNA polymerases, but was capable of forming adducts with DNA.