Metals in Medicine

Not only the 24 or so essential elements, but also nonessential and even radioactive elements have enormous potential for applications in medicine. In the fight against cancer cisplatin, one of the world's best selling anticancer drugs, is being joined by other platinum, titanium, and ruthenium complexes. Gadolinium(III) complexes can be safely injected as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, and ligand design allows targeting of paramagnetic ions as well as radiodiagnostic (e.g. 99mTc) and radiotherapeutic isotopes (e.g. 186Re). Manganese superoxide dismutase mimics, vanadium insulin mimics, ruthenium nitric oxide scavengers, lanthanide-based photosensitizers, and metal-targeted organic agents show exciting clinical potential.