Nanoscale Coordination Polymers for Chemotherapeutic and Biological Cancer Therapy

Nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs) were first developed as Pt(IV) – PO4 – Zn coordination polymers to enhance the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and anticancer efficacy of platinum drugs. However, focusing on a single Pt chemotherapy underestimates the complexity of cancer treatment and the heterogeneity of patient needs. Chapter 1 broadly discusses the current cancer treatment options, as well as some of the current pitfalls and obstacles facing current treatment regimens, and a brief overview of previous nanoparticle and NCP work that serve as a foundation for Chapters 2-5. The work in this dissertation leverages chemistry to improve both proven and unproven drugs for anticancer therapy.