Natural and synthetic anionophores promote the trans-membrane transport of
anions such as chloride and bicarbonate. This process may alter cellular homeostasis with
possible effects on internal ions concentration and pH levels triggering several and diverse
biological effects. In this article, an overview of the recent results on the study of aniontransporters,
mainly acting with a carrier-type mechanism, is given with emphasis on the
structure/activity relationship and on their biological activity as antibiotic and anticancer
agents and in the development of new drugs for treating conditions derived from dysregulation
of natural anion channels.
