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Science 9 May 2003:
Vol. 300. no. 5621, pp. 936 - 939
DOI: 10.1126/science.1083004
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Review

Boon and Bane of Metal Ions in Medicine

Katherine H. Thompson and Chris Orvig*

In biological systems metal ions promote responses that range from deficiency to toxicity. Some, such as iron and zinc, have a known optimal intake range for normal, healthy individuals. Metal ions contained within well-designed molecules already constitute a great boon for the medicinal pharmacopoeia. However, whether essential or not, the threshold for toxicity can be very low. One of the challenges of designing metal-based drugs is to balance the potential toxicity of an active formulation with the substantial positive impact of these increasingly common therapeutic and diagnostic aids.

Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: orvig{at}chem.ubc.ca

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)