Coordination and bioinorganic chemistry at the heart of metallodrugs: Knowledge gaps and future directions

Transition metals are an integral part of medicinal inorganic chemistry. These metals exist in distinct oxidation states and are found to interact with several negatively charged molecules. This nature of transition has been utilized in the advancement of potential drugs for the ailments of malignant diseases including cancer. These heavy metal complexes are scaffolds in the designing of numerous advanced therapeutics for mitigating inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus. Metal complexes are also employed as prominent chelating agents augmenting the bioactivity and efficiency of existing drugs. The behavior of metal ions in biological fluid and further toxicity is interpreted through coordination chemistry. The review addresses the fundamentals of coordination and inorganic chemistry comprehensively. This review provides an extensive understanding of how coordination and inorganic chemistry govern the activity of metallodrugs and chelating agents. It also delves into the chemistry behind the available metallodrugs and chelating agents concerning their various pharmaceutical applications.