FAB, ESI and MALDI mass spectrometric methods in the study of metallo-drugs and their biomolecular interactions

Abstract

This review surveys the soft ionisation mass spectrometric methods that are most commonly used for the investigation of the mechanism of interaction between metallo-drugs and biomolecules. In the first part of the review, an overview of the applications of transition metal complexes in the therapy of various diseases (arthritis, cancer, diabetes) is given, whereas the second part focuses on the obtained results dealing with various aspects of the interaction between metal complexes and different types of biomolecules. Possibilities and limitations of each mass spectrometric method - namely, fast atom bombardment (FAB), electrospray ionisation (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionisation (MALDI) - are discussed in the third part of this review along with the examples of their application for the analysis of metal complexes, as well as of the products of their interaction with biomolecules. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.