Ligand Design to Acquire Specificity to Intended G‐Quadruplex Structures

Abstract A G‐quadruplex is a nucleic acid secondary structure that is adopted by guanine‐rich sequences, and is considered to be relevant in various pharmacological and biological contexts. G‐Quadruplexes have also attracted great attention in the field of DNA nanotechnology because of their extremely high thermal stability and the availability of many defined structures. To date, a large repertory of DNA/RNA G‐quadruplex‐interactive ligands has been developed by numerous laboratories. Several relevant reviews have also been published that have helped researchers to grasp the full scope of G‐quadruplex research from its outset to the present. This review focuses on the G‐quadruplex ligands that allow targeting of specific G‐quadruplexes. Moreover, unique ligands, successful methodologies, and future perspectives in relation to specific G‐quadruplex recognition are also addressed.