Metal containing chloroquinolines: beyond hit and miss antimalarial efficacy to solid science.

Research into metal complexes of known antimalarial drugs have been known for 30 years. Initial exploration into this field was fairly slow and largely limited to the synthesis of the complexes and reporting of antiplasmodial efficacy. In the last five years this approach has shifted substantially. Increasingly papers dealing with the mechanism of action, the speciation of the complexes, and other aspects of the interaction of these complexes in the biological system are appearing. This shift in focus indicates that the application of bioinorganic and bioorganometallic chemistry are beginning to mature into well established fields of research. This paper tracks the development of this field from the humble beginnings to the development of a substantial body of research.