RESUMO
This work provides new insights from our team regarding advances in targeting canonical and non-canonical nucleic acid structures. This modality of medical treatment is used as a form of molecular medicine specifically against the growth of cancer cells. Nevertheless, because of increasing concerns about bacterial antibiotic resistance, this medical strategy is also being explored in this field. Up to three strategies for the use of DNA as target have been studied in our research lines during the last few years: (1) the intercalation of phenanthroline derivatives with duplex DNA; (2) the interaction of metal complexes containing phenanthroline with G-quadruplexes; and (3) the activity of Mo polyoxometalates and other Mo-oxo species as artificial phosphoesterases to catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphoester bonds in DNA. We demonstrate some promising computational results concerning the favorable interaction of these small molecules with DNA that could correspond to cytotoxic effects against tumoral cells and microorganisms. Therefore, our results open the door for the pharmaceutical and medical applications of the compounds we propose.