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Metals in medicine are used in organic systems for diagnostic and treatment purposes. [1] Inorganic elements are also essential for organic life as cofactors in enzymes called metalloproteins . When metals are under or over-abundant in the body, equilibrium must be returned to its natural state via interventional and natural methods.
A metallopharmaceutical is a drug that contains a metal as an active ingredient. [1] [2] Most commonly metallopharmaceuticals are used as anticancer or antimicrobial agents. The efficiency of metallopharmaceuticals is crucially dependent on the respective trace metal binding forms. [3] Examples of metallopharmaceuticals include:
Titanium is considered the most biocompatible metal due to its resistance to corrosion from bodily fluids, bio-inertness, capacity for osseointegration, and high fatigue limit. Titanium's ability to withstand the harsh bodily environment is a result of the protective oxide film that forms naturally in the presence of oxygen.
Bioinorganic chemistry is a field that examines the role of metals in biology.Bioinorganic chemistry includes the study of both natural phenomena such as the behavior of metalloproteins as well as artificially introduced metals, including those that are non-essential, in medicine and toxicology.
Traditionally used in medicine and dental fillings, it is now avoided due to toxic side effects. [11] Can inactivate certain enzymes, as a result, both the metal and some compounds (especially methylmercury) are harmful to most life forms; there is a long and complex history of mercury poisoning in humans. [11] molybdenum: 42: 5
Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that involves the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. [1] Chelation therapy has a long history of use in clinical toxicology [2] and remains in use for some very specific medical treatments, although it is administered under very careful medical supervision due to various inherent risks, including the mobilization of ...
Trace metals are the metals subset of trace elements; that is, metals normally present in small but measurable amounts in animal and plant cells and tissues. Some of these trace metals are a necessary part of nutrition and physiology. Some biometals are trace metals. Ingestion of, or exposure to, excessive quantities can be toxic.
Metals have become so central to cellular function that the collection of metal-binding proteins (referred to as the metallomes) accounts for over 30% of all proteins in the cell. Metals are known to be involved in over 40% of enzymatic reactions, and metal-binding proteins carry out at least one step in almost all biological pathways. [1]