Nucleic acids are the biological target for many antimicrobial, antitumor and antiviral drugs. Ligand-DNA interactions can be classified into two major categories: 1. covalent binding, which can provide to intermolecular adducts, 2. physico-chemical interactions, which can be divided into intercalation (e.g. adriamycin) or groove binding (e.g. dystamycin). There are several methods to investigate interactions between drug and DNA....

The structure of B-DNA, the physiological form of the DNA molecule, has been a central topic in biology, chemistry and physics. Far from uniform and rigid, the double helix was revealed as a flexible and structurally polymorphic molecule. Conformational changes that lead to local and global changes in the helix geometry are mediated by a complex choreography of base and backbone rearrangements affecting the ability of the B-DNA...

DNA is a molecular target for many anticancer and antiviral drugs. Therefore, a clear understanding of the interaction of small molecules with DNA is important in the rational design of ligands that can bind to DNA with high affinity and selectivity. There are several methods to investigate interactions between drug and DNA. Some of them measure changing into DNA structures, such as lengthening and untwisting of helix of DNA. Other...

DNA damaging agents including anthracyclines, camptothecins and platinum drugs are among most frequently used drugs in the chemotherapeutic routine. Due to their relatively low selectivity for cancer cells, administration is associated with adverse side effects, whereas the inherent genotoxicity of these drugs is associated with risk of developing secondary cancers. Development of new drugs, which could be spared of these drawbacks...