Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Generation of Alginate Microspheres for Biomedical Applications
Published on: August 12, 2012
Biomedically Relevant Self-Assembled Metallacycles and Metallacages
Hajar Sepehrpour1, Wenxin Fu2, Yan Sun1,3
1Department of Chemistry , University of Utah , 315 South 1400 East, Room 2020 , Salt Lake City , Utah 84112 , United States.
Abstract:
Diverse metal-organic complexes (MOCs), shaped as rectangles, triangles, hexagons, prisms, and cages, can be formed by coordination between metal ions (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Ir, Zn, Co, and Cd) and organic ligands, with potential applications as alternatives to conventional biomedical materials for therapeutic, sensing, and imaging purposes. MOCs have been investigated as anticancer drugs in the treatment of malignant tumors in lung, cervical, breast, colon, liver, prostate, ovarian, brain, stomach, bone, skin, mouth, thyroid, and other cancers. MOCs with one, two, and three cavities have also been investigated as drug carriers and prepared for the loading and release of different drugs. In addition, MOCs can target proteins by the shape effect and recognize sugars and DNA by electrostatic interactions, as well as estradiol by host-guest interactions, etc. This Perspective mainly covers achievements in the biomedical application of MOCs. We aim to identify some key trends in the reported MOC structures in relation to their biomedical activity and potential applications.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Protein Complex Assembly
Spindle Assembly
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a...
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Clinically Relevant Drug Product Specifications: Methods of Establishment
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

