Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Anticancer Metal Complexes: Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Evaluation by the MTT Assay
Published on: November 10, 2013
Mixed-ligand oxidovanadium complexes with anticancer potential
Sanchita Das1, Pratikshya Das Pattanayak1, Deepika Mohapatra1
1Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008 Odisha, India. rupamdinda@nitrkl.ac.in.
None:
Vanadium, a metal essential for biological processes, is well known in anticancer research due to its strong ability to combat tumours. Their coordination flexibility with a wide range of oxidation states and different bioactive ligands offer structural versatility, making it a prominent focus in current medicinal chemistry. Many reviews discuss vanadium complexes (VCs) and their potential as anticancer agents, but none focus specifically on mixed-ligand oxidovanadium complexes (MLOVCs) as potential metallodrugs or their role in anticancer research. This review summarises recent advancements in synthesising MLOVCs with various ligands and their corresponding oxidation states under diverse reaction conditions. It organises the studied complexes based on the type of ligands they contain and their oxidation levels, highlighting how using biologically relevant ligand/co-ligands helps improve their stability, solubility, ability to enter cells, and their potential as an anticancer agent. The analysis aims to guide researchers in creating more effective and selective vanadium-based anticancer metallodrugs, advancing the fight against cancer.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Complexometric Titration: Ligands
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Coordination Number and Geometry
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...

