TY - JOUR A1 - Stephan, H. A1 - Kubeil, M. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Müller, C.E. T1 - Polyoxometalates as versatile enzyme inhibitors JF - European journal of inorganic chemistry N2 - Polyoxometalates (POMs) are inorganic cluster compounds that have been shown to possess a number of pharmacological properties, including antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antiviral and anticancer activities. Their molecular mechanism of action is largely unknown. However, several studies indicate that many of their activities may be due to the inhibition of enzymes, in particular, of those enzymes that are accessible from the extracellular space and do not require the penetration of cell membranes. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the preparation and optimization of POMs, and an evaluation of their use as inhibitors of different families of enzymes. The next important steps in this area of research will be to gain a better understanding of the interactions of POMs with enzymes on a structural level through an X-ray crystallographic study of enzyme–POM complexes and the analysis of structure–activity relationships. Furthermore, POMs with increased stability and in vivo half-lives have to be prepared. Surface modification may allow the targeting of POM drugs at their sites of action. KW - Cluster compounds KW - Poly­oxometalates KW - Metalloprotein mimics KW - Enzymes KW - Inhibitors KW - Bioinorganic chemistry PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.201201224 SN - 1434-1948 SN - 1099-0682 VL - 2013 IS - 10-11 SP - 1585 EP - 1594 PB - Wiley-VCH Verl. CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-28076 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -