Recently developed organogermanium(IV) compounds as drug candidates and synthetic tools in drug discovery

The study of organogermanium chemistry started from the first organogermanium(IV) compound synthesized by Clemens Winkler in 1886. The exploration of organogermanium(IV) compounds in drug discovery spans less than sixty years and remains only partially developed. In recent years, both the variety of organogermanium(IV) species and their transformation methods have grown explosively. Inherent low toxicity, a broad spectrum of bioactivity and orthogonal reactivity endow them with the potential to play increasingly significant roles in drug discovery. This minireview aims to outline the development of organogermanium(IV) compounds in drug discovery from two perspectives: (1) organogermanium(IV) compounds as drug candidates, including the concept of a carbon/silicon/germanium switch and late-stage germanium functionalization of drugs and natural products; (2) organogermanium(IV) compounds as synthetic tools in drug discovery, including the use of alkyl carbagermatranes or alkyl-GeMe₃ for constructing carbon-carbon bonds and R-GeEt₃ used for constructing carbon-heteroatom bonds, mainly developed by our and Schoenebeck's groups. As the field of organogermanium chemistry continues to expand, we hope that this minireview will clarify the current state of this field and inspire further development of organogermanium(IV) compounds in drug discovery.