Copper compounds in nuclear medicine and oncology

There have been some notable developments in several areas of inorganic pharmaceuticals that have potentially far-reaching importance for future medical applications and research. One significant development in the field of oncology and hematology is the application of copper complexes. Copper ions play an important role in biological systems, and without their catalytic presence in trace or ultra trace amounts many essential co-factors for biochemical reactions would not take place. Copper is an essential component of several endogenous antioxidant enzymes. Copper affects the transcription of multiple defense and repair genes to protect against metal-induced pathologies. Copper creates stable complexes with a wide variety of organic molecules that can provide required biological affinity and therapeutical activity suitable for targeting specific locations in the body (when using radioactive copper isotopes, Cu-60, Cu-61, Cu-62, Cu-64, Cu-67), as well as non-radioactive copper. The aim of this review is a critical evaluation of copper complexes used for therapy or diagnosis of various diseases in oncology from 2000 to the present.