About this Research Topic
The clinical success of platinum-based anticancer drugs has inspired the investigation of a wide variety of coordination and organometallic compounds as therapeutic agents for a range of diseases from cancer, to diabetes, to infectious diseases. The complexes of Gd, Ge, V, Ti, Ga, and Ru have reached human clinical trials, while several other compounds are currently progressing through preclinical development. Each metal offers unique features such as structural diversity, redox potentials, and ligand exchange kinetics. Therefore, the choice of the metal center can play a crucial role in the biological activity and the mechanism of action for new pharmaceutical agents. The design of new metallodrugs requires care in regard to the physicochemical properties of metal complexation in a biological context.
The identification of new metal complexes with therapeutic potential, and the understanding of their mechanisms, is of high importance for research in medicinal bioinorganic chemistry and chemical biology. Recent developments have changed the paradigm from traditional therapeutic approaches to the design of metal complexes that act as prodrugs to be activated when and where they are needed, act as catalytic drugs, hit a specific cellular target, have a precise mode of action, and/or have novel pharmacological activities such as immunomodulatory properties. The main goal of this Research Topic is to cover all recent advances in these areas of metallodrug discovery and development.
The focus of this Research Topic of Frontiers in Chemistry is to highlight recent advancements in medicinal bioinorganic chemistry. Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• new design strategies for inorganic therapeutic agents
• bioorganometallics
• bioinspired coordination compounds
• targeted and delivery approaches for metallodrugs
• studies on biological speciation and modes of action
• development of new tools for biophysical, in vitro, and in vivo studies of metal complexes
The identification of new metal complexes with therapeutic potential, and the understanding of their mechanisms, is of high importance for research in medicinal bioinorganic chemistry and chemical biology. Recent developments have changed the paradigm from traditional therapeutic approaches to the design of metal complexes that act as prodrugs to be activated when and where they are needed, act as catalytic drugs, hit a specific cellular target, have a precise mode of action, and/or have novel pharmacological activities such as immunomodulatory properties. The main goal of this Research Topic is to cover all recent advances in these areas of metallodrug discovery and development.
The focus of this Research Topic of Frontiers in Chemistry is to highlight recent advancements in medicinal bioinorganic chemistry. Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• new design strategies for inorganic therapeutic agents
• bioorganometallics
• bioinspired coordination compounds
• targeted and delivery approaches for metallodrugs
• studies on biological speciation and modes of action
• development of new tools for biophysical, in vitro, and in vivo studies of metal complexes
Keywords: Metallodrugs, Anticancer Metal Complexes, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Biomolecular Interactions, Drug Delivery
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
