Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
10
Metals in Medicine: Inorganic
Medicinal Chemistry
Helle R. Hansen and Ole Farver
CONTENTS
10.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 151
10.1.1 Essential and Nonessential Elements..................................................................... 152
10.2 Classii cation of Inorganic Pharmaceuticals....................................................................... 153
10.3 The Human Body and Bioinorganic Chemistry.................................................................. 154
10.4 Coordination Chemistry...................................................................................................... 155
10.4.1 Chelate Effect......................................................................................................... 155
10.4.2 Hard and Soft Acids and Bases (HSAB Principle) ................................................ 155
10.4.3 Kinetics. Inert and Labile Complexes.................................................................... 156
10.4.4 Redox Reactions..................................................................................................... 157
10.5 Chelate Therapy .................................................................................................................. 157
10.5.1 Selected Chelates ................................................................................................... 158
10.5.1.1 BAL ........................................................................................................ 158
10.5.1.2 d-Penicillamine ...................................................................................... 158
10.5.1.3 EDTA ..................................................................................................... 158
10.5.1.4 Desferrioxamine..................................................................................... 159
10.6 Inorganic Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals ......................................................................... 159
10.6.1 Alkali Metals ......................................................................................................... 160
10.6.2 Alkaline Earth Metals ........................................................................................... 160
10.6.3 Iron and Cobalt ...................................................................................................... 162
10.6.4 Platinum and Ruthenium ....................................................................................... 163
10.6.5 Copper, Silver, and Gold ........................................................................................ 166
10.6.6 Zinc ........................................................................................................................ 169
10.6.7 Antimony and Bismuth .......................................................................................... 169
10.7 Concluding Remarks........................................................................................................... 170
Further Readings ............................................................................................................................ 171
10.1 INTRODUCTION
Although biology is generally associated with carbon chemistry, most of the chemical elements
from hydrogen to bismuth bear potential in drug design. Given the enormous variety and range in
reactivity of inorganic compounds, the application of inorganic chemistry in improving human
health opens new vistas in the i eld of research, and bioinorganic chemistry plays an increasingly
important role in modern medicinal chemistry.
Inorganic compounds have been applied in medicine for thousands of years. However, seren-
dipity has played a major role throughout time. In modern rational drug design and development
it is of utmost importance to understand the reaction mechanism of the inorganic compounds,
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