Volume 18, entitled Metallo-Drugs: Development and Action of Anticancer Agents of the series Metal Ions in Life Sciences centers on biological, medicinal inorganic chemistry. The serendipitous discovery of the antitumor activity of cis-diamminodichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin) by Barnett Rosenberg in the 1960s is a landmark in metallodrug-based chemotherapy. The success of cisplatin in the clinic, followed by oxaliplatin and carboplatin, along with their drawbacks relating mainly to resistance development and severe toxicity, initiated research on polynuclear platinum complexes and on Pt(IV) complexes as prodrugs. Furthermore, the indicated shortcomings led to the exploration of other transition and main group metal ions, among them Ru(II/III), Au(I/III), Ti(IV), V(IV/V), and Ga(III) including also the essential metal ions Fe(II/III), Cu(I/II), and Zn(II). Ionic as well as covalent and non-covalent interactions between structurally very different complexes and biomolecules like nucleic acids, proteins, and carbohydrates are studied and discussed with regard to their possible anticancer actions. Hence, MILS-18 summarizes the research at the forefront of medicinal inorganic chemistry, including studies on the next-generation, tailor-made anticancer drugs. All this and more is treated in an authoritative and timely manner in the 17 stimulating chapters of this book, written by 39 internationally recognized experts from 10 nations (from the US via Europe to China and Australia). The impact of this vibrant research area is manifested by more than 2700 references, nearly 150 illustrations (more than half in color) and several comprehensive tables. Metallo-Drugs: Development and Action of Anticancer Agents is an essential resource for scientists working in the wide range from enzymology, material sciences, analytical, organic, and inorganic biochemistry all the way through to medicine including the clinic ... not forgetting that it also provides excellent information for teaching.

Helmut and Astrid Sigel, University of Basel, Switzerland; Roland K. O. Sigel and Eva Freisinger, University of Zürich, Switzerland.

From the Content:

1. Introduction to the Wider Field of Metallo-Drugs
2. Cisplatin and Oxaliplatin: Our Current Understanding of Their Actions
3. Polynuclear Platinum Drugs: Covalent and Non-covalent DNA-Binding Agents
4. Different Drugs, Different Actions: The Actions and Consequences of Trans and Cationic Platinum Drugs
5. Platinum(IV) Drugs
6. The Ruthenium Drugs KP1019 and NAMI-A: Our Current Understanding of Their Actions
7. Ruthenium Piano-Stool Organometallic Drugs
8. The Gold Drugs
9. Titanium Drugs
10. Vanadium Drugs
11. Non-covalent Metallo-Drugs: Targeting Junction Structures
12. Metallo-Drugs that Target Proteins
13. Non-canonical Nucleic Acid Targets: Metallo-Drugs that Act on Quadruplexes
14. Targeting, Delivery and Nanoscience of Metallo-Drugs
15. Metallo-Intercalators