Metals in Medicine

Working from basic chemical principles, Metals in Medicine presents a complete and methodical approach to the topic. Introductory chapters discuss important bonding concepts applicable to metallo-drugs and their biological targets, interactions that exist between the agents and substances in the biological milieu, basic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties including transport and uptake of drugs by the cells, and methods for measuring efficacy and toxicity of agents. The steps from drug discovery to market place are also briefly outlined and discussed. These chapters lay the groundwork, in order that students can clearly understand how agents work, whatever their subject background.

Following this introduction, chapters focus on individual metallo-drugs and agents for treating and detecting disease, their synthesis, structure and general properties, known mechanism of action and important physical and chemical principles that apply. Topics covered include cisplatin; platinum anticancer drugs; ruthenium, titanium, and gallium for treating cancer; gold compounds for treating arthritis, cancer, and other diseases; vanadium, copper, and zinc in medicine; metal complexes for diagnosing disease; and metals in nanomedicine.

Throughout the book, “Feature Boxes” expand on features of drugs that are not directly related to studying metals in medicine, for example discovery, medical use, specialist assays, and metals in biology. At the end of the chapters there are specifically designed problems/exercises that apply basic kinetic, thermodynamic and chemical principles to practical problem solving in metals in medicine.

Metals in Medicine distils the essence of this important topic for undergraduate and graduate students in chemistry, biochemistry, biology and the related areas of biophysics, pharmacology, and bioengineering, and for researchers in other fields interested in getting a general insight into metals in medicine.