Rare earth elements have unique physical, magnetic, luminescent and catalytic properties. They have been successfully used as medicine and probes in luminescent resonance energy transfer (LRET) for bioassays, as well as reagents for diagnosis in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this progress report, we will focus on recent progress on how rare earth amino complexes bind to DNA and change DNA structure, especially on DNA B-Z transition induced by rare earth amino acid complex and its potential impact on Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
