[Applications of metal ions and their complexes in medicine I]

The "inorganic medical chemistry" is a rapidly developing field with enormous potential for applications, which offers new possibilities to the pharmaceutical industry. For example, the titanocene dichloride is already in clinical use, and antimetastatic activity of a range of Ru(III) complexes is also well established. There are ways to minimize the toxicity of Gd(III) complexes and therefore they can be safely injected as MRI contrast agents. The so called "ligand design" allows paramagnetic ions to be targeted to specific organs. Such designed ligands also enable the targeting of radiodiagnostic (99mTc) and radiotherapeutic (186Re) isotopes. There is a significant progress in understanding the coordination chemistry and biochemistry of metal ion(s) containing complexes such as Au antiarthritic and Bi antiulcer drugs. Further, currently developing areas include Mn (SOD mimics), V (insulin mimics), Ru (NO scavengers), Ln-based photosensitizers, metal-targeted organic agents and the Fe overload. The expanding knowledge of the role of metals in biochemistry is expected to provide scope for the design of new drugs in many other areas too, for example neuropharmaceutical and antiaffective agents. Progress in coordination chemistry is strongly dependent on understanding not only the thermodynamics of reactions, but also the kinetics of metal complexes under biologically relevant conditions.