Metallopharmaceutical Explained

A metallopharmaceutical is a drug that contains a metal as an active ingredient.^{[1] [2]} Most commonly metallopharmaceuticals are used as anticancer or antimicrobial agents. The efficiency of metallopharmaceuticals is crucially dependent on the respective trace metal binding forms.^[3]

Examples of metallopharmaceuticals include:

• bismuth subsalicylate – a mild anti-diarrheal also used in treating peptic ulcers caused by antibiotic-resistant H. pylori^{[4] [5]}
• cisplatin and carboplatin – platinum containing anticancer agents^{[6] [7]}
• gold salts such as auranofin – anti-inflammatory for treatment of arthritis^{[8] [9]}
• silver sulfadiazine – antibacterial^{[10] [11]}
• zinc pyrithione – antibacterial and antifungal^[12]

Further reading

• Book: Platinum and Other Heavy Metal Compounds in Cancer Chemotherapy: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications . Bonett A, Leone R, Muggia R, Howell SB . 2008 . . 978-1-60327-458-6.
• Book: Metallopharmaceuticals: Diagnosis and therapy . Clarke MJ, Sadler PJ . . 1999 . 978-3-540-65308-0 .
• Book: Metallopharmaceuticals I: DNA Interactions. Clarke MJ, Sadler PJ . . 1999 . 978-3-540-64889-5.
• Book: Metallotherapeutic Drugs and Metal-Based Diagnostic Agents: The Use of Metals in Medicine . Gielen M, Tiekink ER . 2005 . . 978-0-470-86403-6.
• Book: Medicinal Applications of Coordination Chemistry . Jones CJ, Thornback J . . 2007 . 978-0-85404-596-9.

Notes and References

1. Book: Guo J, Sadler PJ . Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry . Adv. Inorg. Chem. . 1999 . 49 . 183–306 . 10.1016/S0898-8838(08)60271-8 . Advances in Inorganic Chemistry . 9780120236497.
2. Ray S, Mohan R, Singh JK, Samantaray MK, Shaikh MM, Panda D, Ghosh P . Anticancer and antimicrobial metallopharmaceutical agents based on palladium, gold, and silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes . . 129 . 48 . 15042–53 . December 2007 . 17988129 . 10.1021/ja075889z .
3. Book: 1999. 20. 71–103. Günther K, Weber G . Analytiker-Taschenbuch. Elementspeziesanalytik: Ein Überblick. 10.1007/978-3-642-59914-9_3. 978-3-642-64181-7.
4. Fischbach L, Evans EL . Meta-analysis: the effect of antibiotic resistance status on the efficacy of triple and quadruple first-line therapies for Helicobacter pylori. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther.. 26. 3. 343–57. August 2007. 17635369. 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03386.x. 20973127 .
5. Graham DY, Shiotani A . New concepts of resistance in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections. Nat. Clin. Pract. Gastroenterol. Hepatol.. 5. 6. 321–31. June 2008. 18446147. 10.1038/ncpgasthep1138. 2841357.
6. Lokich J, Anderson N . Carboplatin versus cisplatin in solid tumors: an analysis of the literature . . 9 . 1 . 13–21 . January 1998 . 9541678 . 10.1023/A:1008215213739. free .
7. Go RS, Adjei AA . Review of the comparative pharmacology and clinical activity of cisplatin and carboplatin . . 17 . 1 . 409–22 . January 1999 . 10458260 . 10.1200/JCO.1999.17.1.409.
8. Messori L, Marcon G . Gold complexes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis . Met. Ions Biol. Syst. . 41 . 279–304 . 2004 . 15206120 .
9. Gaujoux-Viala C, Smolen JS, Landewé R, Dougados M, Kvien TK, Mola EM, Scholte-Voshaar M, van Riel P, Gossec L . Current evidence for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a systematic literature review informing the EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis . Ann. Rheum. Dis. . 69 . 6 . 1004–9 . June 2010 . 20447954 . 10.1136/ard.2009.127225 . 30886393 .
10. Fuller FW . The side effects of silver sulfadiazine . J. Burn Care Res. . 30 . 3 . 464–70 . 2009 . 19349889 . 10.1097/BCR.0b013e3181a28c9b . 3676574 .
11. Carter MJ, Tingley-Kelley K, Warriner RA . Silver treatments and silver-impregnated dressings for the healing of leg wounds and ulcers: a systematic review and meta-analysis . . 63 . 4 . 668–79 . October 2010 . 20471135 . 10.1016/j.jaad.2009.09.007 .
12. Guthery E, Seal LA, Anderson EL . Zinc pyrithione in alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis: persistence of antimicrobial effects . Am J Infect Control . 33 . 1 . 15–22 . February 2005 . 15685130 . 10.1016/j.ajic.2004.07.012 . 7119132 .