Recent Insights into Bioactive Dichalcogen Derivatives: From Small Molecules to Complex Materials

Organodichalcogenides have been explored due to their therapeutic properties. They have been demonstrated to be active against several diseases such as cancer, bacteria, viruses, parasites, or neurological diseases. Among the different classes of dichalcogenides, disulfide derivatives have been widely studied, and many studies cover their therapeutical use. For this reason, this review includes the latest studies of diselenides and ditellurides derivatives with biological applications. With this aim, several bioactive small molecules containing the diselenide or ditelluride bond in their structure have been discussed. Furthermore, it should be highlighted that, in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of nanomaterials for drug delivery due to their therapeutic advantages. In this context, diselenide and ditelluride-containing nanocarriers have emerged as novel approaches. The information compiled in this review includes small molecules and more complex materials containing diselenide or ditelluride bonds in their structure for different therapeutical applications, which could be helpful for the further development of novel drugs for the treatment of different diseases.