Mechanism of Action

Carboplatin’s effectiveness stems from the ability of CBDCA to act as a good leaving group to enable binding of the platinum complex to bind to DNA.⁵ This change from chloride groups to the CBDCA, has tweaked the mechanism and properties of carboplatin from cisplatin. These exact mechanistic changes are still being researched.

Carboplatin has a relatively similar mechanism to cisplatin except it has a slower rate of aquation/activated due to the slower substitution of the bidentate cyclobutane dicarboxylate ligand with water.⁴ The similarity of the mechanism is due to the similarities in the structures of carboplatin and cisplatin.