Stimuli-responsive synthetic ionophores for therapeutic applications

Nature endowed different structurally and functionally complex transmembrane transporters to flux the ions to maintain the healthy functions of the cells by turning on or turning off the ion flow in the presence of external stimuli. Mimicking this stimuli-responsive behavior of natural transporters using synthetic analogs is currently an ongoing interest in the scientific community. This short review highlights the recent development of synthetic responsive ionophore systems. This includes pH, light, redox, enzyme, and multi-stimuli-controlled ionophores systems that have the potential to be utilized in different biomedical applications ranging from antibacterial activity to anticancer activity.