Review Of Metal Ions , Diseases due to Deficiency And Toxic Effects Of Metals

Abstract

Metal ions are required for many critical functions in humans. Scarcity of some metal ions can lead to disease. Well-known examples include pernicious anemia resulting from iron deficiency, growth retardation arising from insufficient dietary zinc, and heart disease in infants owing to copper deficiency. The ability to recognize, to understand at the molecular level, and to treat diseases caused by inadequate metal-ion function constitutes an important aspect of medicinal bioinorganic chemistry.
Metal ions can also induce toxicity in humans, classic examples being heavymetal poisons such as mercury and lead. Even essential metal ions can be toxic when present in excess; iron is a common household poison in the United States as a result of accidental ingestion, usually by children, of the dietary supplement ferrous sulfate. Understanding the biochemistry and molecular biology of natural detoxification mechanisms, and designing and applying ion-specific chelating agents to treat metal overloads, are two components of a second major aspect of the new science that is evolving at the interface of bioinorganic chemistry and medicine.