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Current Medicinal Chemistry

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 0929-8673
ISSN (Online): 1875-533X

Review Article

Recent Progress in Polynuclear Ruthenium Complex-Based DNA Binders/Structural Probes and Anticancer Agents

Author(s): Si-Qi Zhang, Li-Hua Gao, Hua Zhao and Ke-Zhi Wang*

Volume 27, Issue 22, 2020

Page: [3735 - 3752] Pages: 18

DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666181203143422

Price: $65

Abstract

Ruthenium complexes have stood out by several mononuclear complexes which have entered into clinical trials, such as imidazolium [trans-RuCl4(1H-imidazole)(DMSO-S)] (NAMI-A) and ([Ru(II)(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)2-(2(2'-,2'':5'',2'''-terthiophene)-imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10]phenanthroline)] 2+) (TLD-1433), opening a new avenue for developing promising ruthenium-based anticancer drugs alternative to Cisplatin. Polynuclear ruthenium complexes were reported to exhibit synergistic and/or complementary effects: the enhanced DNA structural recognition and DNA binding as well as in vitro anticancer activities. This review overviews some representative polynuclear ruthenium complexes acting as DNA structural probes, DNA binders and in vitro anticancer agents, which were developed during last decades. These complexes are reviewed according to two main categories of homo-polynuclear and hetero-polynuclear complexes, each of which is further clarified into the metal centers linked by rigid and flexible bridging ligands. The perspective, challenges and future efforts for investigations into these exciting complexes are pointed out or suggested.

Keywords: Ruthenium, DNA, DNA structural probe, cytotoxicity, binding mode, Cisplatin-based drugs, anticancer drugs.

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