Lay summary
Platinum-based anticancer drugs are among the most widely used cancer chemotherapeutics but their significant side effects and drug resistance severely limit their use. These issues can be overcome by improving the selectivity of the drug for tumour tissue which can be achieved in different ways, such as replacing the platinum centre with other metals that have in general lower toxicity or by loading the drugs on carriers bioinspired polymers. Bioinspired polymers are known for their biocompatibility, degradability, and design flexibility, and have been explored as nanocarriers to deliver drugs. In this project, we will follow both approaches. We will develop novel low-toxicity, high-efficiency metal complexes and a delivery nanoplatform based on biocompatible polymers which will result in degradable polymer nanocomposites for drug delivery, achieving precise tumour treatment in a combination therapy approach.