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What does the future hold for photo-oxidizing Ru(II) complexes with polyazaaromatic ligands in medicinal chemistry?
Jonathan Ghesquière1, Stéphane Le Gac, Lionel Marcélis
1Université Libre de Bruxelles, Chimie Organique et Photochimie, CP 160/08, av. F.D. Roosevelt, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Abstract:
Since the discovery of cisplatin, the search for diagnostic or therapeutic agents based on other metals, has expanded intensively owing to the numerous possibilities offered by coordination chemistry. This mini-review focuses on recent advances in the search for Ru(II) polyazaaromatic complexes of potential interest as molecular tools applied to cellular diagnostics or as specific cellular photo-reagents for future biomedical applications. The interaction of Ru(II) polyazaaromatic complexes with living cells is reported, as well as the photo-reaction mechanisms of photo-oxidizing Ru(II) complexes with nucleic acids. The novel strategies currently developed to improve their reactivity and specificity towards DNA, more particularly in the gene-silencing framework, are also discussed.
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