Dr. Crans is a leading researcher of the bioinorganic chemistry of Vanadium, with a H-index of 66 and over 13,000 total citations across more than 500 publications listed in Web Of Science. This includes more than 250 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals.
Papers from Dr. Crans’ lab have been featured on the cover of Chemistry, a European Journal vol. 29(68) in 2023 ; Metallomics vol. 12 in 2020; Dalton Trans. vol. 48 in 2019; J. Org. Chem vol 80 in 2015; Dalton Trans. vol. 42 in 2013; New J. Chem. vol 37(1) in 2013, and The Journal of Organic Chemistry in 2013. Additionally, a special issue of J. Inorg. Biochem. was published in 2020 in honor of her career.
In the year 2024, Dr. Crans published 12 peer-reviewed manuscripts. A list of publications from the last 5 years can be found on this page. Older publications can be found here.
261. “Reactivity in cell culture medium and in vitro anticancer activity of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol: link to metal-catechol interactions” Aviva Levina, Debbie C Crans, Peter A Lay. Frontiers in Chemical Biology 2025, 4, 1547323 https://doi.org/10.3389/fchbi.2025.1547323
260. “Half‐Sandwich Organometallic Ir (III) and Ru (II) Compounds and their Interactions with Biomolecules” Sandra Kozieł, Daria Wojtala, Magdalena Szmitka, Monika Lesiów, Aleksandra Ziółkowska, Jacek Sawka, Edgar Del Carpio, Debbie C Crans, Urszula K Komarnicka. ChemPlusChem 2025, e202400621 https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202400621 (early access)
259. “Optimizing therapeutics for intratumoral cancer treatments: Antiproliferative vanadium complexes in glioblastoma” Andrew C Bates, Kameron L Klugh, Anna O Galaeva, Raley A Patch, John F Manganaro, Skyler A Markham, Emma Scurek, Aviva Levina, Peter A Lay, Debbie C Crans. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2025, 26(3), 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26030994
258. “Hydrolysis, Ligand Exchange, and Redox Properties of Vanadium Compounds: Implications of Solution Transformation on Biological, Therapeutic, and Environmental Applications” Rupam Dinda, Eugenio Garribba, Daniele Sanna, Debbie C Crans, João Costa Pessoa. Chemical Reviews 2025, 125(3), 1468-1603 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00475
257. “Combination therapy enhances efficacy and overcomes toxicity of metal‐based anti‐diabetic agent” Bing Shang, Yaqiong Dong, Bo Feng, Jingyan Zhao, Zhi Wang, Debbie C Crans, Xiaoda Yang. British Journal of Pharmacology 2024, 181(21), 4214-4228 https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.16485
256. “Structural and kinetic characterization of DUSP5 with a Di-phosphorylated tripeptide substrate from the ERK activation loop” Andrea Imhoff, Noreena L Sweeney, Robert D Bongard, Raulia Syrlybaeva, Ankan Gupta, Edgar Del Carpio, Marat R Talipov, Costanza Garcia-Keller, Debbie C Crans, Ramani Ramchandran, Daniel S Sem. Frontiers in Chemical Biology 2024, 3, 1385560. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchbi.2024.1385560
255. “Approaches to selective and potent inhibition of glioblastoma by vanadyl complexes: Inducing mitotic catastrophe and methuosis” Sha Xu, Huixue Liu, Xin Li, Jingyan Zhao, Jiayu Wang, Debbie C Crans, Xiaoda Yang. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 2024, 257, 112610 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112610
254. “Solution chemistry and anti-proliferative activity against glioblastoma cells of a vanadium (V) complex with two bioactive ligands” Aviva Levina, Gonzalo Scalese, Dinorah Gambino, Debbie C Crans, Peter A Lay. Frontiers in Chemical Biology 2024, 3, 1394645 https://doi.org/10.3389/fchbi.2024.1394645
253. “Gastrointestinal cancer cells with Pt-resistance and relationship with aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs” VA Ferretti, KL Klugh, KA Doucette, DC Crans, IE León. Coordination Chemistry Reviews 2024, 509, 215791 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2024.215791
252. “Dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance attenuation by oral sulfur–oxidovanadium (IV) complex treatment in mice” Eucilene K Batista, Lidiane MA de Lima, Dayane A Gomes, Debbie C Crans, Wagner E Silva, Mônica F Belian, Eduardo C Lira. Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(6), 760 https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/17/6/760#
251. “Hydrazone-flavonol based oxidovanadium (V) complexes: Synthesis, characterization and antihyperglycemic activity of chloro derivative in vivo” Adnan Zahirović, Muhamed Fočak, Selma Fetahović, Burak Tüzün, Aleksandar Višnjevac, Višnja Muzika, Maja Mitrašinović Brulić, Sabina Žero, Samra Čustović, Debbie C Crans, Sunčica Roca. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 2024, 258, 112637 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112637
250. “Lercanidipine’s Antioxidative Effect Prevents Noise-Induced Hearing Loss” Zhaoqi Guo, E Tian, Sen Chen, Jun Wang, Jingyu Chen, Weijia Kong, Debbie C Crans, Yisheng Lu, Sulin Zhang. Antioxidants 2024, 13(3), 327 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/3/327#
249. “Using speciation to gain insight into sustainable coupling reactions and their catalysts” Skyler Markham, Debbie C Crans, Bruce Atwater. Catalysis for a Sustainable Environment: Reactions, Processes and Applied Technologies, 2024, 559-576 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119870647.ch26
248. “Pyrazinoic acid, the active form of the anti-tuberculosis drug pyrazinamide, and aromatic carboxylic acid analogs are protonophores” Fabio L Fontes, Steven A Rooker, Jamie K Lynn-Barbe, Michael A Lyons, Debbie C Crans, Dean C Crick. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2024, 11, 1350699 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2024.1350699
247. “Recent advances of medicinal properties of vanadium compounds: cancer and other diseases” Kateryna Kostenkova, Kameron Klugh, Debbie C Crans. Metal-Containing Molecules and Nanomaterials 2024, 19-50 ISBN 9781003361756
246. “Halogenated non-innocent vanadium (V) Schiff base complexes: chemical and anti-proliferative properties” Allison A Haase, Skyler A Markham, Heide A Murakami, John Hagan, Kateryna Kostenkova, Jordan T Koehn, Canan Uslan, Cheryle N Beuning, Lee Brandenburg, Joseph M Zadrozny, Aviva Levina, Peter A Lay, Debbie C Crans. New J. Chem. 2024, 48(29), 12893-12911 https://doi.org/10.1039/D4NJ01223B
245. “Vanadium (V) Pyridine‐Containing Schiff Base Catecholate Complexes are Lipophilic, Redox‐Active and Selectively Cytotoxic in Glioblastoma (T98G) Cells” Kateryna Kostenkova, Aviva Levina, Drew A Walters, Heide A Murakami, Peter A Lay, Debbie C CransChem. Eur. J. 2023, 29(68), e202302271 https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202302271 (Cover feature!)
244. “Substitution Kinetics, Albumin and Transferrin Affinities, and Hypoxia All Affect the Biological Activities of Anticancer Vanadium(V) Complexes” Aviva Levina, Canan Uslan, Heide Murakami, Debbie C. Crans, and Peter A. Lay Inorganic Chemistry 2023, 62 (43), 17804-17817 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02561
243. “Proline Dehydrogenase and Pyrroline 5 Carboxylate Dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Evidence for Substrate Channeling.”Kumar, Santosh, Steven Sega, Jamie K. Lynn-Barbe, Dannika L. Harris, Jordan T. Koehn, Debbie C. Crans, Dean C. Crick. Pathogens 2023, 12, 1171. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12091171
242. “Vanadium(V) Pyridine-Containing Schiff Base Catecholate Complexes are Lipophilic, Redox-Active and Selectively Cytotoxic in Glioblastoma (T98G) Cells” Kateryna Kostenkova, Aviva Levina, Drew A. Walters, Heidi A. Murakami, Peter A. Lay, Debbie C. Crans. Chem. Eur. J. 2023, e202302271. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202302271
241. “Where Are Sodium Ions in AOT Reverse Micelles? Fluoride Anion Probes Nanoconfined Ions by 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy” Samantha L. Miller, Ernestas Gaidamauskas, Ataf Ali Altaf, Debbie C. Crans, and Nancy E. Levinger Langmuir 2023, 39 (22), 7811-7819 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00649
240. “Biological Consequences of Vanadium Effects on Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species and Lipid Peroxidation” Manuel Aureliano, Ana Luisa De Sousa-Coelho, Connor C. Dolan. Deborah A. Roess, Debbie C. Crans. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2023, 24(6), 5382. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065382
239. “Targeting Epigenetic Changes Mediated by Members of the SMYD Family of Lysine Methyltransferases” Alyssa Padilla, John F. Manganaro, Lydia Huesgen, Deborah A. Roess, Mark A. Brown, Debbie C. Crans. Molecules 2023, 28, 2000. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28042000
238. “The antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of a sulfur-oxidovanadium(IV) complex” Lidiane Macêdo Alves de Lima, Amanda K.J.P. Guedes, Eucilene K. Batista, Kahoana Postal, Kateryna Kostenkova, Alex Fenton, Debbie C. Crans, Wagner E. Silva, Mônica Freire Belian, Eduardo Carvalho Lira. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 2023, 241(12), 112127. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112127
237. “Grand challenges in chemical biology: Past, present and future” Debbie C. Crans. Frontiers in Chemical Biology 2022, 1. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchbi.2022.1108654
236. “Vanadium Chloro-Substituted Schiff Base Catecholate Complexes are Reducible, Lipophilic, Water Stable, and Have Anticancer Activities” Heide A. Murakami, Canan Uslan, Allison A. Haase, Jordan T. Koehn, Adriana Pires Vieira, D. Jackson Gaebler, John Hagan, Cheryle N. Beuning, Nicholas Proschogo, Aviva Levina, Peter A. Lay, Debbie C, Crans Inorganic Chemistry 2022, 21, 51, 20757-20773. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c02557
235. “Chemistry of Lipoquinones: Properties, Synthesis, and Membrane Location of Ubiquinones, Plastoquinones, and Menaquinones” Margaret M. Braasch-Turi, Jordan T. Koehn, Debbie C. Crans. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022, 23(21), 12856. DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112856
234. “Biological contributions to the 12th international vanadium symposium” Anastasios D. Keramidas, Chryssoula Drouza, Giulia Licini, Debbie C. Crans. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 2022, 237, 112014. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.112014
233. “Do bioactive 8-hydroxyquinolines oxidovanadium(IV) and (V) complexes inhibit the growth of M. smegmatis?” Gonzalo Scalese, Zeyad Arhouma, Kateryna Kostenkova, Leticia Perez-Diaz, Dean C. Crick, Dinorah Gambino, Debbie C. Crans. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 2022, 237, 111984. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.111984
232. “Molecular Bio-Sensors and the Biological and Biomedical Activities of Vanadium” Nuttaporn Samarat, Deborah A. Roess, Debbie C. Crans. Molecular Bio-Sensors and the Role of Metal Ions, 2022. DOI: 10.1201/9781003229971-8
231. “Pascoite Minerals and Potential Application of NMR Spectroscopy” Craig C. McLauchlan, Beth Trent-Ringler, Debbie C. Crans. Minerals 2022, 12, 980. https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080980
230. “Exploring Growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis Treated with Anticarcinogenic Vanadium Compounds” Zeyad Arhouma, Heide A. Murakami, Jordan T. Koehn, Xiaorong Li, Deborah A. Roess, Dean C. Crick, Debbie C. Crans Inorganics 2022, 10, 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics10040050
229. “Highlighting the roles of transition metals and speciation in chemical biology” Kateryna Kostenkova, Gonzalo Scalese, Dinorah Gambino, Debbie C. Crans. Curr. Op. Chem. Bio. 2022, 69, 1-11, article 102155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102155
228. “Metallomics and other omics approaches in antiparasitic metal-based drug research” Gonzalo Scalese, Kateryna Kostenkova, Dinorah Gambino, Debbie C. Crans. Curr. Op. Chem. Bio. 2022, 67, 1-9, article 102127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102127
227. “Electron Transport Lipids Fold Within Membrane-Like Interfaces” Margaret M. Braasch-Turi#, Jordan T. Koehn#, Kateryna Kostenkova, Cameron Van Cleave, Jacob W. Ives, Heide A. Murakami, Dean C. Crick, Debbie C. Crans. Front. Chem. (Section: Chemical Biology) 2022, 10, article 827530. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2022.827530 (# – co-first authorship)
226. “PtIV– or MoVI-monosubstituted decavanadates inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis” Kateryna Kostenkova, Zeyad Arhouma, Kahoana Postal, Ananthu Rajan, Ulrich Kortz, Giovana G. Nunes, Dean C. Crick, Debbie C. Crans. J. Inorg. Biochem., 2021, 217, 111356.
225. “Vanadium (IV)-diamine complex with hypoglycemic activity and a reduction in testicular atrophy” Lidiane M.A. Lima, Mônica F. Belian, Wagner E. Silva, Kahoana Postal, Kateryna Kostenkova, Debbie C. Crans, Ana Katharyne F.F. Rossiter, Valdemiro A. da Silva Júnior. J. Inorg. Biochem., 2021, 216, 111312
224. “The Interfacial Interactions of Glycine and Short Glycine Peptides in Model Membrane Systems” Kaitlin A. Doucette, Prangthong Chaiyasit, Donn L. Calkins, Kayli N. Martinez, Cameron Van Cleave, Callan A. Knebel, Anan Tongraar. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2021, 22(1), 162. doi: 10.3390/ijms22010162
223. “In Silico/In Vitro Hit-to-Lead Methodology Yields SMYD3 Inhibitor That Eliminates Unrestrained Proliferation of Breast Carcinoma Cells” Ilham M. Alshiraihi, Dillon K. Jarrell, Zeyad Arhouma, Kelly N. Hassell, Jaelyn Montgomery, Alyssa Padilla, Hend M. Ibrahim, Debbie C. Crans, Takamitsu A. Kato, Mark A. Brown. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2020, 21(24), 9549. doi: 10.3390/ijms21249549
222. “Vanadium compounds promote biocatalysis in cells through actions on cell membranes” Debbie C. Crans, Mark A. Brown, Deborah A. Roess. Catalysis Today, 2020,
221. “Open questions on the biological roles of first-row transition metals” Debbie C. Crans and Kateryna Kostenkova. Comm. Chem., 2020, 3, article 104. doi: 10.1038/s42004-020-00341-w
220. “The Acid-Base Equilibrium of Pyrazinoic Acid Drives the pH-Dependence of Pyrazinamide-Induced Mycobacterium tuberculosis Growth Inhibition” Fabio L. Fontes, Benjamin J. Peters, Debbie C. Crans, Dean C. Crick. ACS Infect. Dis., 2020, 6(11), 3004-3014.
219. “Mycobacterium tuberculosis Survival in J774A.1 Cells Is Dependent on MenJ Moonlighting Activity, Not Its Enzymatic Activity” Santosh Kumar, Jordan T. Koehn, Mercedes Gonzales-Juarrero, Debbie C. Crans, Dean C. Crick. ACS Infect. Dis., 2020, 6(10), 2661-2671.
218. “Synthesis of Naphthoquinone Derivatives: Menaquinones, Lipoquinones and Other Vitamin K Derivatives” Margaret Braasch-Turi and Debbie C. Crans. Molecules, 2020, 25(19), 4477. doi: 10.3390/molecules25194477
217. “Glycoprotein G G-protein Coupled Receptors in Disease: Lutenizing Hormone Receptors and Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptors” Duaa Althumairy, Xiaoping Zhang, Nicholas Baez, B. George Barisas, Deborah A. Roess, George R. Bousfield, Debbie C. Crans. Diseases, 2020, 8(3), 35. doi: 10.3390/diseases8030035
216. “ESI-MS Study of the Interaction of Potential Oxidovanadium(IV) Drugs and Amavadin with Model Proteins” Valeria Ugone, Daniele Sanna, Giuseppe Sciortino, Debbie C. Crans, Eugenio Garriba. Inorg. Chem., 2020, 59, 9739-9755.
215. “A Short-Lived but Highly Cytotoxic Vanadium(V) Complex as a Potential Drug Load for Brain Cancer Treatment by Intratumoral Injections” Aviva Levina, Adriana Pires Vieira, Asanka Wijetunga, Ravinder Kaur, Jordan T. Koehn, Debbie C. Crans, Peter A. Lay. Angewandte Chimie, 2020
214. “Polyoxometalates function as indirect activators of a G protein-coupled receptor” Duaa Althumairy, Kahoana Postal, B. George Barisas, Giovana G. Nunes, Deborah A. Roess, Debbie C. Crans. Metallomics, 2020, 12, 1044-1061. Featured as the front cover of Metallomics! Click here for the article!
213. “Location of menaquinone and menaquinol headgroups in model membranes” Cameron Van Cleave, Heide A. Murakami, Nuttaporn Samart, Jordan T. Koehn, Pablo Maldonado, Jr., Heidi D. Kreckel, Elana J. Cope, Andrea Basile, Dean C. Crick, Debbie C. Crans. Can. J. Chem., 2020, 98(6), pp 307-317.
212. “Initiation of a novel mode of membrane signaling: Vanadium facilitated signal transduction” Nuttaporn Samart, Duaa Althumairy, Dongmei Zhang, Deborah A. Roess, Debbie C. Crans. Coord. Chem. Rev., 2020, 416, article 213286.
211. “Application of HPLC to measure vanadium in environmental, biological and clinical matrices” Iman Boukhobza and Debbie C. Crans. Arab. J. Chem., 2020, 13(1), pp 1198-1228.
210. “Effects of vanadium(IV) compounds on plasma membrane lipids lead to G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction” Duaa Althumairy, Heide A. Murakami, Dongmei Zhang, B. George Barisas, Deborah A. Roess, Debbie C. Crans. J. Bioinorg. Chem., 2020, 203, article 110873.