Bioinorganic chemistry of vanadocene dichloride

• Interactions of vanadocene dichloride with biomolecules are reviewed.
• Hydrolytic chemistry is described.
• Structure–activity relations are discussed.
• Vanadocene complexes act as antitumor and spermicidal agents.

This review article summarizes the development in bioinorganic chemistry of vanadocene dichloride and its derivatives. It is focused mainly on studies related with biological activity appearing in past four decades, after the antitumor activity of bent metallocenes was discovered by Petra Köpf-Maier and Hartmut Köpf. The first part deals with the unique hydrolytic chemistry of vanadocene dichloride and the reactivity with biologically relevant molecules, necessary for understanding of its antitumor effect on the molecular level. The second part summarizes the results of in vitro and in vivo biological assays. It covers not only the experiments related with antitumor activity but also a series of studies focused on the spermicidal properties with unique mechanism of action. A special attention is given to structure–activity studies on modified vanadocene compounds.

This review article summarizes the development in bioinorganic chemistry of vanadocene dichloride and its derivatives. The first part deals with the unique hydrolytic chemistry of vanadocene dichloride and the reactivity with biologically relevant molecules. The second part summarizes the result of in vitro and in vivo biological assays.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide