Metal Ion Complexes of Nucleic Acid Constituents with Potentials in Antiviral and Anticancer Therapy

The research activity in biophysical/bioinorganic chemistry at Dept. of Chemistry, Univ. of Bergen involves several international projects, two of which within the framework of COST Action D20: Metal Jon Complexes of Nuceleic Acid Constituents with Potent ials in Antiviral and Anticancer Therapy. In collaboration with the group of Prof. Natile, Univ. of Bari, structural and kinetic aspects of interactions between antitumor trans-platinum iminoether compounds and mono-, di- and oligo nucleotides are investi gated by HPLC and NMR spectroscopy. The most recent results of this collaboration were published in Angw. Chem. Int. Ed. as a "hot paper". Two Ph.D. students are working on this project. Initial studies on the kinetics of selective binding of plati num dien complexes to DNA are presently taking place in collaboration with Prof. Sadler, Univ. of Edinburgh. Another fruitful collaboration has been established with Dr. Hannon and Dr. Rodgers, Univ. of Warwick, on the adduct formation between metallo-sup ramolecular cylinders and DNA. Further workin this field is planned to continue within a EU Research Training Network. (application submitted).