Chapter 2 - Ruthenium complexes: An insight into their interactions with nucleic acids and biomolecules

Abstract

Since, many anticancer drugs are demonstrated to interact with DNA and to determine their mode of action, their binding to DNA becomes essential. DNA is the central dogma of molecular biology, carrying all genetic data and playing a crucial role in gene replication. DNA also offers the genetic blueprint for the protein synthesis required by the cells, through the RNA-mediated transcription and translation processes. Ruthenium drugs have been successful in accomplishing the status of promising cancer therapeutic candidates in the last decade with NAMI-A and KP1019 drugs already being in clinical trials. Both NAMI-A and KP1019 are activated upon reduction of Ru(III) to Ru(II), giving way to a new field of research focused on Ru(II) complexes with a plethora of ligands. This chapter summarizes more naïve options of understanding the Ru(II)-based drug discovery strategies that involve ruthenium-based metallodrugs that are targeting nucleic acids. Ruthenium complexes are considered a structure selective nucleic acid binding agent, since ruthenium is known to exhibit diverse size and structure, having various photophysical and electrochemical properties. This chapter describes innovative rational designs of recent Ru(II)/(III)-based drugs targeted specifically to DNA and RNA and their future biologic prospects in the design of chemotherapeutic drugs.