This book, a compilation by experts in the field, is designed to provide an introduction to the area of medicinal inorganic chemistry and to summarize current, state-of-the-art developments in the field. Medicinal inorganic chemistry represents a key thrust area in medicine and biological inorganic chemistry. It is one of great current excitement and achievement. The field of metals in medicine represents an approximate $3 billion dollar a year industry, with successes in the area of Tc- and Gd-based imaging agents and Pt-based cancer therapeutics being major contributors to this bottom line. It has become increasingly apparent, however, that metal-based pharmaceuticals can play a prominent role in areas outside of imaging and oncology, including in those associated with the diagnosis and treatment of metabolism- and genetic disorders, cardiovascular disease, gene therapy, inflammation, reperfusion injury, stroke, diabetes, ALS, malaria, and neurological disease to name but a few. A objective of this book, therefore, is to highlight these opportunities for future advances and to foster further interactions between those working in the metal-based drug development, including imaging agents, and those engaged in the more classic pharmaceutical industries.
