Bai Donghan, Nowak Michal, Lu Dajun, Wang Qiaochu, Fitzgerald Martin, Zhang Hui, MacDonald Remy, Xu Ziwen, Luo Lu
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Faculty of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Apr 7;16:1542560. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1542560. eCollection 2025.
Metals have long held a significant role in the human body and have been utilized as mineral medicines for thousands of years. The modern advancement of metals in pharmacology, particularly as metallodrugs, has become crucial in disease treatment. As the machanism of metallodurgsare increasingly uncovered, some metallodrugs are already approved by FDA and widely used in treating antitumor, antidiabetes, and antibacterial. Therefore, a thorough understanding of metallodrug development is essential for advancing future study. This review offers an in-depth examination of the evolution of mineral medicines and the applications of metallodrugs within contemporary medicine. We specifically aim to summarize the historical trajectory of metals and mineral medicines in Traditional Chinese Mineral Medicine by analyzing key historical texts and representative mineral medicines. Additionally, we discuss recent advancements in understanding metallodrugs' mechanisms, such as protein interactions, enzyme inhibition, DNA interactions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and cellular structure targeting. Furthermore, we address the challenges in metallodrug development and propose potential solutions. Lastly, we outline future directions for metallodrugs to enhance their efficacy and effectiveness. The progression of metallodrugs has broadened their applications and contributed significantly to patient health, creating good healthcare solutions for the global population.
长期以来，金属在人体中发挥着重要作用，并已被用作矿物药物达数千年之久。金属在药理学上的现代进展，特别是作为金属药物，在疾病治疗中变得至关重要。随着金属药物作用机制的不断揭示，一些金属药物已获美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准，并广泛用于治疗抗肿瘤、抗糖尿病和抗菌等疾病。因此，全面了解金属药物的发展对于推动未来研究至关重要。本综述深入探讨了矿物药物的演变以及金属药物在当代医学中的应用。我们特别旨在通过分析关键历史文献和代表性矿物药物，总结传统中药中金属和矿物药物的历史轨迹。此外，我们讨论了在理解金属药物作用机制方面的最新进展，如蛋白质相互作用、酶抑制、DNA相互作用、活性氧（ROS）生成以及细胞结构靶向。此外，我们阐述了金属药物开发中的挑战并提出了潜在的解决方案。最后，我们概述了金属药物的未来发展方向，以提高其疗效和有效性。金属药物的发展拓宽了其应用范围，并为患者健康做出了重大贡献，为全球人口创造了良好的医疗保健解决方案。
