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Coordinative interactions between multivalent metal ions and drug derivatives with Lewis
base functions give rise to nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs) as delivery systems. As the
pharmacologically active agent constitutes a main building block of the nanomaterial, the resulting
drug loadings are typically very high. By additionally selecting metal ions with favorable pharmacological
or physicochemical properties, the obtained NCPs are predominantly composed of active
components which serve individual purposes, such as pharmacotherapy, photosensitization, multimodal
imaging, chemodynamic therapy or radiosensitization. By this approach, the assembly of drug
molecules into NCPs modulates pharmacokinetics, combines pharmacological drug action with specific
characteristics of metal components and provides a strategy to generate tailorable multifunctional
nanoparticles. This article reviews different applications and recent examples of such highly
functional nanopharmaceuticals with a high ‘material economy’.
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Lay Summary: Nanoparticles, that are small enough to circulate in the bloodstream and can carry
cargo molecules, such as drugs, imaging or contrast agents, are attractive materials for pharmaceutical
applications. A high loading capacity is a generally aspired parameter of nanopharmaceuticals to
minimize patient exposure to unnecessary nanomaterial. Pharmaceutical agents containing Lewis
base functions in their molecular structure can directly be assembled into metal-organic nanopharmaceuticals
by coordinative interaction with metal ions. Such coordination polymers generally feature
extraordinarily high loading capacities and the flexibility to encapsulate different agents for a simultaneous
delivery in combination therapy or ‘theranostic’ applications.
