Abstract
Metals have been considered for millennia to have medicinal values. With the advent of modern medicine, many metal-based drugs have proven to be highly effective in the clinic. Many different metal ions have shown activity against a range of diseases. The unique electronic structure of transition metals offers great versatility, not always seen in organic drugs, in terms of the ability to tune the properties of a given molecule. This review gives a brief overview of the most established therapeutic metals, and their more common applications, such as platinum-based anticancer drugs. New developments within the field of metallodrugs and novel strategies being employed to improve methods of delivery, are also discussed.
MeSH terms
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Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
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Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
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Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
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Biological Transport
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Drug Delivery Systems
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Drug Design
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Humans
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Organometallic Compounds / chemical synthesis
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Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
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Organometallic Compounds / therapeutic use
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Organoplatinum Compounds / chemical synthesis
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Organoplatinum Compounds / chemistry
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Organoplatinum Compounds / therapeutic use
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Photochemotherapy
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Photosensitizing Agents / chemical synthesis
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Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry
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Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use
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Platinum / chemistry
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Platinum / pharmacology*
Substances
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Antineoplastic Agents
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Organometallic Compounds
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Organoplatinum Compounds
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Photosensitizing Agents
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Platinum