Structure activity-relationship studies of lanthanide Schiff base complexes for breast cancer therapy: Pharmacological insights

Around the world, breast cancer is a major health issue, marked by high mortality and morbidity rates. Particularly in advanced phases, traditional treatments like radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery frequently fail, highlighting the critical need for novel therapeutic approaches. As a result, research into metal-based chemotherapeutics has significantly increased in the past few years, following the landmark introduction of cisplatin, and associated complexes into the field of oncology as anticancer drugs. Unfortunately, because of the toxicity of platinum-based coordination complexes their use has been limited. Keeping these facts in mind, multiple groups have explored Schiff base coordinated lanthanide complexes. These complexes provide a comprehensive strategy for treating cancer by integrating the beneficial properties of metal ions and Schiff base ligands. This review summarizes research from the past five years on lanthanide Schiff-base complexes in breast cancer treatment, emphasizing their structure activity relationships, recent advances in design, and underlying mechanisms of action, thereby underscoring their emerging significance as promising candidates in anticancer drug development. • Lanthanide SB complexes shows promising anti-breast cancer property by apoptosis & inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. • Coordination with lanthanide ions enhances the stability, reactivity, and selectivity of Schiff base ligands. • The nature of donor atoms, ligand framework, and the type of lanthanide ion significantly influence cytotoxic efficiency. • This review summarizes research on lanthanide SB complexes: synthesis, mechanisms & SAR analysis for breast cancer therapy.