The Biological Applications of Metals and Metal Complexes

Dear Colleagues,

About 25–30 elements are considered to have been essential for the normal functioning of biological systems since the origin of life, and among them, 10 are metallic elements, the so-called “inorganic elements”. Metals such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn and Mo are elements essential for life, and our body must have adequate amounts of them, while others are considered possibly essential, such as V and Cr, even if they are present in vestigial amounts. Contaminant metals and semi-metals such as Pb, Hg, Cd, As and Al are known to be detrimental for living systems. Other non-essential metals, Au, Ag, Pt and Ru, are known to have several biological applications in the treatment of human diseases and are considered new drugs of the future. The past decades have marked important advances in our knowledge of mechanistic bioinorganic chemistry and witnessed a steady change in the traditional view of the many roles that metals and their complexes play in biological systems. In fact, metals and inorganic compounds show a diversity of properties that have allowed them to present several and distinct biological and medical applications.

This Special Issue will provide recent insights into the applications of metals and their complexes in biology and biomedicine. A wide range of topics is welcomed, including the use of metals and their complexes for biomolecule detection, bioremediation, bioaccumulation; as sensors, probes and enzyme inhibitors; metals for health applications; for the prevention, therapy and diagnosis of diabetes and neurological diseases; and as antiviral, antimicrobial and anticancer agents and additives in macromolecular crystallography. For this Special Issue, we are looking forward to receiving regular research papers, reviews and short communications.

Prof. Dr. Manuel Aureliano
Dr. Nadiia I. Gumerova
Prof. Dr. Annette Rompel
Guest Editors

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