Ruthenium-arene complexes bearing naphthyl-substituted 1,3-dioxoindan-2-carboxamides ligands for G-quadruplex DNA recognition.

Quadruplex nucleic acids - DNA/RNA secondary structures formed in guanine rich sequences - proved to have key roles in the biology of cancers and, as such, in recent years they emerged as promising targets for small molecules. Many reports demonstrated that metal complexes can effectively stabilize quadruplex structures, promoting telomerase inhibition, downregulation of the expression of cancer-related genes and ultimately cancer cell death. Although extensively explored as anticancer agents, studies on the ability of ruthenium arene complexes to interact with quadruplex nucleic acids are surprisingly almost unknown.

Subcellular Duplex DNA and G-Quadruplex Interaction Profiling of a Hexagonal Pt Metallacycle.

Metal-driven self-assembly afforded a multitude of fascinating supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) with applications as catalysts, host-guest, and stimuli-responsive systems. However, the interest in the biological applications of SCCs is only starting to emerge and thorough characterization of their behavior in biological milieus is still lacking. Herein, we report on the synthesis and detailed in-cell tracking of a Pt L metallacycle.