Metals were considered for medicinal uses to treat diseases since antiquity, but their use decreased over time. The rising drug/antibiotic resistance, with the dearth of new antibiotics, urges alternates. In the twenty-first century, the use of metal complexes is undergoing renaissance with a focus on the combination of metal and organic compounds (coordination metal-complexes). Metals can be complex to a biomolecule, drugs, or antibiotics. Complexed metal-biomolecule mediates metal’s entry into a specific cell, to exert its effect on that cell. Transition metals possess unique electronic structures, which enable them to be versatile by modifying the properties of a certain molecule. For instance, cisplatin-based nanomaterials deliver cisplatin to the cancer cell specifically. Similarly, copper nanoparticles exhibit antimicrobial activity. Metal-complexes have a wide range of targets and different mechanism of action. However, the molecular level of understanding is still lacking, due to the limited knowledge of the interface between chemistry and biology.
Metal complexes like bismuth/gold/iron/ruthenium/silver/copper-based coordination complexes are in human clinical trials against cancer, malaria, and neurodegenerative diseases. Metal-complexes have a wide range of targets for their therapeutic effects like bacterial proteins and DNA, cancer- tumor-associated proteins, and induction of immunogenic antitumor properties. However, we still need the molecular level of understanding. Redox-active transition metals can catalyze Fenton chemistry directly or disrupt cellular donor ligands (solvent-exposed Fe/[Fe–S] clusters) or thiol-mediated reduction, leading to ROS production that seizes cell growth. Metal-complexes selectively target the DNA, cleaving it, which also sheds a light on the retrospective studies of old copper complexes that exhibited “Chemical-nuclease” activity. The future direction toward the finding of anti-microbial/cancerous drugs will include simple, modified, and mixed-ligand copper(II) complexes that incorporate recognition elements such as amino acids, peptides, nucleotides, and antibiotics. Mechanisms for cells withstanding ROS or metal toxicity are well studied, it is important idea that no single-cell strategy will provide universal resistance to ROS or all metals. Similarly, exploring other modes of action will find ways to novel action, helping to overcome resistance. Altogether, to exploit fully the potential of metallo-drugs, the goal is to understand their mode of action, metal toxicity and design metallo-complexes against diseases.
This Research Topic includes Original Research and Review articles on the use of metal complexes/nanoparticles against diseases. Articles focusing on the design and development of targeted metal-based agents and understanding their mechanisms of action will be considered. Further, innovative drug delivery approaches or the use of metal complex nanoparticles is welcome.
Topics of interest for this Research Topic include but are not limited to the following:
1. Modern era of the metal-based drugs in medicinal chemistry against infection, and inflammation;
2. Development of novel metal complexes against infectious diseases;
3. Targets of the metal-complex agents and their mechanisms of action;
4. Targeted delivery, uptake, and toxicity of metal-based drug agents;
5. Metal complexes for diagnostic and therapy;
6. Impact of metal- based agents/combinatorial therapy for infectious diseases.
Metals were considered for medicinal uses to treat diseases since antiquity, but their use decreased over time. The rising drug/antibiotic resistance, with the dearth of new antibiotics, urges alternates. In the twenty-first century, the use of metal complexes is undergoing renaissance with a focus on the combination of metal and organic compounds (coordination metal-complexes). Metals can be complex to a biomolecule, drugs, or antibiotics. Complexed metal-biomolecule mediates metal’s entry into a specific cell, to exert its effect on that cell. Transition metals possess unique electronic structures, which enable them to be versatile by modifying the properties of a certain molecule. For instance, cisplatin-based nanomaterials deliver cisplatin to the cancer cell specifically. Similarly, copper nanoparticles exhibit antimicrobial activity. Metal-complexes have a wide range of targets and different mechanism of action. However, the molecular level of understanding is still lacking, due to the limited knowledge of the interface between chemistry and biology.
Metal complexes like bismuth/gold/iron/ruthenium/silver/copper-based coordination complexes are in human clinical trials against cancer, malaria, and neurodegenerative diseases. Metal-complexes have a wide range of targets for their therapeutic effects like bacterial proteins and DNA, cancer- tumor-associated proteins, and induction of immunogenic antitumor properties. However, we still need the molecular level of understanding. Redox-active transition metals can catalyze Fenton chemistry directly or disrupt cellular donor ligands (solvent-exposed Fe/[Fe–S] clusters) or thiol-mediated reduction, leading to ROS production that seizes cell growth. Metal-complexes selectively target the DNA, cleaving it, which also sheds a light on the retrospective studies of old copper complexes that exhibited “Chemical-nuclease” activity. The future direction toward the finding of anti-microbial/cancerous drugs will include simple, modified, and mixed-ligand copper(II) complexes that incorporate recognition elements such as amino acids, peptides, nucleotides, and antibiotics. Mechanisms for cells withstanding ROS or metal toxicity are well studied, it is important idea that no single-cell strategy will provide universal resistance to ROS or all metals. Similarly, exploring other modes of action will find ways to novel action, helping to overcome resistance. Altogether, to exploit fully the potential of metallo-drugs, the goal is to understand their mode of action, metal toxicity and design metallo-complexes against diseases.
This Research Topic includes Original Research and Review articles on the use of metal complexes/nanoparticles against diseases. Articles focusing on the design and development of targeted metal-based agents and understanding their mechanisms of action will be considered. Further, innovative drug delivery approaches or the use of metal complex nanoparticles is welcome.
Topics of interest for this Research Topic include but are not limited to the following:
1. Modern era of the metal-based drugs in medicinal chemistry against infection, and inflammation;
2. Development of novel metal complexes against infectious diseases;
3. Targets of the metal-complex agents and their mechanisms of action;
4. Targeted delivery, uptake, and toxicity of metal-based drug agents;
5. Metal complexes for diagnostic and therapy;
6. Impact of metal- based agents/combinatorial therapy for infectious diseases.
