Hetero-multinuclear, platinum/ruthenium species were synthesized and tested for their effect on the motility of A549 (nonsmall cell lung) and MDA-MB-231 (breast) cancer cells and for their ability to inhibit DNA mobility using gel electrophoresis. It was found that the Ru2Pt trinuclear species [Na-2] {[(RuCl4)-Cl-III(DMSO-S)(-mu-pyz)](2)(PtCl2)-Cl-II}, AH197, was much more efficient at inhibiting cell motility than [C3N2H5][(RuCl4)-Cl-III(DMSO-S)(C3N2H4)], NAMI-A, while the dinuclear RuPt species [K][(RuCl4)-Cl-III(DMSO-S)(-mu-pyz)Pt-II(DMSO-S)Cl-2], IT127, was slightly better than NAMI-A. However, the dinuclear species retarded the electrophoretic mobility of DNA greater than both the trinuclear complex and cisplatin. The metal complexes and their respective BSA protein/metal adducts were studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The spectra led to the conclusion that BSA donor atoms have substituted for the chloride ligands and perhaps the DMSO ligands.