Bioorganometallic chemistry-from teaching paradigms to medicinal applications

In undergraduate level organometallic chem. courses students are usually taught that organometallic compds. are toxic and unstable in air and water. While this is true of many complexes, some are also non-toxic and stable in air and water. Indeed, bioorganometallic chem., the study of biomols. or biol. active mols. that contain at least one carbon directly bound to a metal, is a thriving subject, and air and water stability is a general pre-requisite. This interdisciplinary field is located at the borderline between chem., biochem., biol. and medicine. In this tutorial review, various aspects of bioorganometallic chem. are introduced, with the main emphasis on medicinal organometallic compds. Organometallic therapeutics for cancer, HIV and malaria and other medicinal applications are described. It is also shown how rational ligand design has led to new improved therapies much in the same way that an organometallic chemist working in catalysis will design new ligands for improved activities.