Metals and their compounds have been exploited in medicine since the dawn of history. All metals (or their substances) exert some kind of biological activity. Metal complexes exhibit a number of unique properties as compared to purely organic substances, stemming from the presence of the metal atom and the variable arrangement of ligands around this central atom. The goal of this brief survey is to provide basic overview of the area of metallopharmacy, aimed at specialists in pharmacy and chemistry as well as at the general educated public. The first part concentrates on some historical aspects of metallopharmacy and on current application of metals in the therapy of infectious diseases and in diagnostics.
Keywords: bioinorganic chemistry; chemotherapy; diagnostics; metal complexes; metallopharmaceuticals.