The importance of metal-DNA interactions in living systems, and their potential applications especially in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases has stimulated considerable recent interest in this area. The most important application is the antitumour action of certain heavy metals, which work by binding to and distorting DNA, causing cell death. For example, Cisplatin (Cl2H6N2Pt ) is one of the most potent and widely used anticancer drugs in use today.

This book provides an overview of metal-DNA interactions, the mechanism of their interaction, metal-based drugs and metal ion toxicity. It is essential reading for academic researchers in bioinorganic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology and medicine, and pharmaceutical industries involved in developing metal-based drugs.