Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry

In cells and organisms, metal complexes can be specifically designed to interact with biomolecules and accordingly alter important biological processes. These interactions have been widely explored for targeting specific biological functions and diseases. In fact, several studies have demonstrated that inorganic chemistry offers significant diversity and versatility for the preparation of highly potent protein modulators (e.g. inhibitors). Moreover, both coordination and organometallic complexes featuring favourable chemico-physical properties (e.g. luminescence) have proven to be well suited to image proteins and peptides in living cells by various methods. An inherent advantage of metal complexes is the accessibility of multiple oxidation states, and overall charge and geometries, which makes them attractive from the point of view of chemical design. However, these properties can become a disadvantage if not controlled and fine-tuned in the biological application. In this review, we generally discuss the use of metal compounds, targeting proteins and/or peptides, in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology, and then focus on representative recent examples and applications. Furthermore, we highlight future challenges and attractive perspectives in the field, which may stimulate research and define new frontiers in bioinorganic chemistry.