title: Organometallic chemistry, biology and medicine: ruthenium arene anticancer complexes.
abstract: Our work has shown that certain ruthenium(II) arene complexes exhibit promising anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. The complexes are stable and water-soluble, and their frameworks provide considerable scope for optimising the design, both in terms of their biological activity and for minimising side-effects by variations in the arene and the other coordinated ligands. Initial studies on amino acids and nucleotides suggest that kinetic and thermodynamic control over a wide spectrum of reactions of Ru(II) arene complexes with biomolecules can be achieved. These Ru(II) arene complexes appear to have an altered profile of biological activity in comparison with metal-based anticancer complexes currently in clinical use or on clinical trial.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Yaw Kai
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melchart
authors.forename: Abraha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Habtemariam
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Sadler
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011506:Proteins; D012428:Ruthenium; D004247:DNA