About this Research Topic

Background

In recent years, organometallics have emerged as an exciting new field of research for drug delivery applications. Organometallic compounds have unique properties that make them attractive candidates for therapeutic purposes since they contain at least one metal-carbon bond. The chemical and electronic properties of these compounds allow them to be tailored for specific drug delivery applications. The goal of drug delivery is to transport therapeutic agents efficiently to target sites while minimizing side effects. The properties of organometallic complexes, such as their tunable redox potentials, ligand exchange kinetics, and unique reactivity profiles, make them ideal for controlled drug release and enhancing cellular uptake.

Scientists are currently exploring ways to incorporate organometallic complexes into nanoscale carriers, such as liposomes, micelles, and dendrimers, by functionalizing them with biocompatible ligands. The integration of organometallics into drug delivery systems could revolutionize therapeutic interventions, resulting in more effective treatments with lower toxicity and better patient outcomes.

The goal of this Research Topic is to explore the potential of organometallics for drug delivery and drug discovery applications and to address the challenges associated with utilizing these compounds effectively. Due to their unique physicochemical properties and reactivity, organometallics have shown great promise in improving drug delivery. To fully utilize their potential, several key challenges must be overcome.

Biocompatibility and minimal toxicity are crucial factors in designing organometallic complexes. It is necessary for researchers to develop new ligands or modify existing ones in order to tailor organometallics to specific drug delivery systems and target tissues. To achieve precise drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy, it is also important to understand the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of these complexes.

Developing efficient and scalable methods for synthesizing organometallic complexes is another challenge. In order to facilitate their translation from the laboratory to large-scale production for clinical use, we optimize synthetic routes and identify cost-effective starting materials. In recent years, researchers have successfully functionalized organometallic complexes to incorporate them into various nanoscale drug carriers. Interdisciplinary collaborations between chemists, pharmacologists, and biomedical scientists are essential for harnessing organometallics for drug delivery. It will also be necessary to conduct preclinical studies using relevant disease models to assess their safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential. The use of organometallics could revolutionize drug delivery and lead to targeted and personalized therapies with the help of concerted efforts and innovative research.

For this Research Topic, we welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:

• Design and Synthesis of Organometallic Complexes for Drug Delivery: Investigation of new ligands and coordination chemistries to optimize the properties of organometallics for drug delivery applications.
• Biocompatible Ligands and Surface Functionalization: Exploration of ligands that promote biocompatibility and efficient targeting of organometallic complexes to specific tissues or cells.
• Nanoscale Drug Carriers and Delivery Systems: Development and characterization of nanoscale carriers, such as liposomes, micelles, and dendrimers, for efficient delivery of organometallic-based therapeutics.
• Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution Studies: Assessment of the pharmacokinetic profiles and tissue-specific biodistribution of organometallic drug delivery systems.
• Stimuli-Responsive Drug Delivery: Utilization of stimuli-responsive materials to design smart drug delivery systems that release therapeutic agents in response to specific triggers in the disease microenvironment.
• In vitro and In vivo Evaluation: Preclinical studies using relevant disease models to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential of organometallic-based drug delivery systems.
• Translational Perspectives: Discussions on the challenges and opportunities in translating organometallic drug delivery systems from the laboratory to clinical settings.
• Targeted Therapies: Use of organometallic complexes to enable targeted therapies for various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases.
• Controlled Drug Release: Strategies to achieve controlled and sustained drug release from organometallic-based carriers, enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects.
• Combination Therapies: Investigation of organometallic-based drug delivery systems in combination with other therapeutic modalities, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or gene therapy.
• Biodegradable Organometallic Complexes: Development of environmentally friendly and biodegradable organometallic complexes for drug delivery applications.
• Toxicity and Safety Assessment: Studies on the potential toxicity and safety profiles of organometallic drug delivery systems, including strategies to mitigate any adverse effects.
• Personalized Medicine: Exploration of how organometallics can contribute to personalized medicine approaches through targeted and tailored drug delivery.
• Use of organometallics (especially the antibiotic metal complexes) as a potential to combat antimicrobial resistance along with their potential in drug discovery.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Drug delivery, Drug discovery, Targeted therapy, Nanocarriers, Anticancer, Organometallics, Organometallic complexes

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.

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