"Medicinal Organometallic Chemistry", edited by Gérard Jaouen and Nils Metzler-Nolte from the Topics in Organometallic Chemistry series from Springer was reviewed in Platinum Metals Review by Simon Fricker (Genzyme Corp, Framingham, USA). This book outlines recent research in the design, synthesis, mechanistic understanding and medical application of organometallic compounds. The medicinal organometallic complexes of iron, titanium, technetium and gold are discussed in the book, but the review focuses on the chapters featuring the pgms.

A common misunderstanding is that the organometallic compounds are too unstable to be useful as drugs, however, many organometallic compounds are currently being developed that are stable under physiological conditions. This is explained with examples given by the various contributors in the book.

The history of bioorganometallic chemistry from the elucidation of the crystal structure of cyanocobalamin to the antitumour activity of the titanocene complexes and the more recent ruthenium-arene complexes, set within the context of the discovery of cisplatin (cis-PtCl2(NH3)2) are introduced by the book’s editors. The work on ruthenium arene complexes and their potential antitumour activity and the research on metal complexes as scaffolds for novel kinase inhibitors are particular highlights of the book.

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Medicinal Organometallic Chemistry 

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