Homo and heterometallic ruthenium and platinum complexes with multiple targets for therapeutic applications: a review

Abstract We are now well-positioned to comprehend carcinogenesis at a molecular level in greater detail due to significant technological advancements. Additionally, we are now able to rationally design and develop drug molecules with the ability to either selectively enhance or disrupt important biological processes, maximizing their therapeutic potential. This has heralded a new era in drug design. The heterometallic ruthenium–platinum complexes can be used as anticancer, photodynamic therapy, diabetes treatment, and molecular sensors for thiol-containing peptides due to their multifunctional interactions with nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA, RNA, and proteins. Compared to cisplatin and its Ru-based monometallic precursors, a significant number of reported ruthenium–platinum complexes exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity and tumor selectivity. Due to the covalent binding of the cis-PtIICl2 moiety to DNA, photoactive Ru(II)–Pt(II) complexes were designed to prelocalize a photodynamic therapy agent at the site of action. The development of ruthenium–platinum-based heterometallic complexes has recently advanced, opening up new avenues for the development of drugs that are more efficient. Metal complexes’ potential as important cancer therapeutic agents will be the primary focus of this review. The development of ruthenium and platinum-based mono and mixed-metal complexes with therapeutic and biomedical applications are discussed in detail in this article.