Our knowledge of the role and importance of metals in biology is growing rapidly. Metal-based drugs (cisplatin) and metal-conating radiopharmaceuticals for tissue imaging (Gd, Tc) are already well established. Also metals in biology may be targets for drugs, specifically chelators, which bind a particular metal specifically. We have two parallel programs in this area where iron is the target metal. These comprise:
 
 

• The development of orally active chelators for the treatment of iron overload disorders
• Chelators with antiproliferative activity selective for cancer cells

Both projects are being undertaken in collaboration with the Richardson group at the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia

The structures above are of three cytotoxic Fe(II) complexes from the dipyridylketone isonicotinoyl hydrazone series (see P. V. Bernhardt, L. M. Caldwell, T. B. Chaston, P. Chin and D. R. Richardson, J. Biol. Inorg. Chem., 2003, 8, 866).