Design of targeting ligands in medicinal inorganic chemistry.

This tutorial review will highlight recent advances in medicinal inorganic chemistry pertaining to the use of multifunctional ligands for enhanced effect. Ligands that adequately bind metal ions and also include specific targeting features are gaining in popularity due to their ability to enhance the efficacy of less complicated metal-based agents. Moving beyond the traditional view of ligands modifying reactivity, stabilizing specific oxidation states, and contributing to substitution inertness, we will discuss recent work involving metal complexes with multifunctional ligands that target specific tissues, membrane receptors, or endogenous molecules, including enzymes.