Abstract
Organometallic compounds are increasingly recognized as promising anticancer and antibiotic drug candidates. Among the transition metal ions investigated for these purposes, rhenium occupies a special role. Its tri- and dicarbonyl complexes, in particular, attract continuous attention due to their relative ease of preparation, stability and unique photophysical and luminescent properties that allow the combination of diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, thereby permitting, e.g., molecules to be tracked within cells. In this review, we discuss the anticancer and antibiotic properties of rhenium tri- and dicarbonyl complexes described in the last seven years, mainly in terms of their structural variations and in vitro efficacy. Given the abundant literature available, the focus is initially directed on tricarbonyl complexes of rhenium. Dicarbonyl species of the metal ion, which are slowly gaining momentum, are discussed in the second part in terms of future perspective for the possible developments in the field.
Highlights
The demand for anticancer and antibiotic drugs is increasing worldwide since the current pipelines remain insufficient against the increasing emergence and spread of resistance.The cancer burden worldwide remains among the leading causes of death in the world, in particular in high-income countries [1]
We have summarized organometallic rhenium tri- and dicarbonyl compounds with antibiotic and anticancer activity published in the last seven years
The majority of anticancer rhenium complexes are believed to act by reacting with available biomolecules, forming traditional metal–ligand bonds, but a few exceptions exist
Summary
The demand for anticancer and antibiotic drugs is increasing worldwide since the current pipelines remain insufficient against the increasing emergence and spread of resistance. The thermodynamic stable product of the aerobic decomposition of many rhenium species is perrhenate (ReO4 - ), whose salts of potassium and sodium are as toxic as sodium chloride [14] This makes perrhenate one of the least toxic transition metal oxides, and rhenium species are obviously attractive for anticancer and antibiotic applications in terms of possibly reducing sideeffects associated with its chemotherapies. It will become immediately apparent to the reader that tricarbonyl complexes of rhenium dominate the research fields, but dicarbonyl complexes are slowly gaining momentum These latter species are discussed in terms of future perspective for the possible developments in these important investigations
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