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Ru-based chemotherapy is emerging as an effective alternative to the well-established Pt-based one, typically associated with high toxicity. In this context, our recent efforts were devoted to the preparation of nucleolipid-based Ru(III) complexes able to form, under physiological conditions, supramolecular aggregates which can efficiently prevent metal deactivation and convey Ru(III) inside the cells where it exerts its activity. Within an interdisciplinary program for the development of multifunctional nanoparticles for theranostic applications, we here report the design, synthesis, and characterization of a novel functionalized Ru(III) salt, carrying a lipoic acid moiety in the nucleolipid-based scaffold to allow its incorporation onto metal-based nanoparticles.

Peptides and their synthetic analogs are a class of molecules with enormous relevance as therapeutics for their ability to interact with biomacromolecules like nucleic acids and proteins, potentially interfering with biological pathways often involved in the onset and progression of pathologies of high social impact. Nucleobase-bearing peptides (nucleopeptides) and pseudopeptides (PNAs) offer further interesting possibilities related to their nucleobase-decorated nature for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, thanks to their reported ability to target complementary DNA and RNA strands. In addition, these chimeric compounds are endowed with intriguing self-assembling properties, which are at the heart of their investigation as self-replicating materials in prebiotic chemistry, as well as their application as constituents of innovative drug delivery systems and, more generally, as novel nanomaterials to be employed in biomedicine. Herein we describe the properties of nucleopeptides, PNAs and related supramolecular systems, and summarize some of the most relevant applications of these systems.