Medical Biochemistry - Inorganic Elements and Compounds

Inorganic elements and their complexes underpin a vast array of physiological processes. Essential metal ions such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc act as structural components of bone and biominerals, cofactors in hundreds of enzymes and regulators of ion channels. Trace elements including copper, selenium and molybdenum, though required in minute quantities, are indispensable for redox reactions, antioxidant defence and hormone synthesis. Beyond simple ions, coordination compounds—such as calcium chelates, carbon monoxide-releasing molecules and metal-based gasotransmitters—are being exploited for therapeutic applications. Dysregulation of elemental homeostasis contributes to conditions as diverse as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration and inflammatory disorders. Advances in bioinorganic chemistry have led to novel drug-repositioning strategies that employ repurposed metal complexes to accelerate tissue repair, innovative delivery platforms for gaseous mediators and high-resolution proteomic approaches to map element-driven toxicity. The integration of mechanistic insights, from ligand-field tuning of metal centres to cellular imaging of metal distribution, promises new interventions for metabolic, inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A metal–ligand complex of zinc and L-carnosine has been repurposed to promote bone fracture healing. In cellular systems it upregulates osteogenesis-related genes and supports balanced osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. In murine fracture models, this oral chelate accelerates callus formation and restores cortical architecture, illustrating how targeted metal complexes can enhance endogenous repair pathways without novel molecular entities. Chronic fluoride exposure has been shown to remodel intestinal innervation and proteomic profiles in the small intestine. In rodent jejunum, dose-dependent loss of nNOS-immunoreactive neurons and altered levels of proteins governing glucose homeostasis and protein synthesis were demonstrated. Parallel studies in the duodenum revealed morphological changes in enteric neurons and modulation of cytoskeletal and metabolic proteins. In fluorosis-susceptible mice, chronic exercise did not alter plasma or bone fluoride levels, though high-fluoride intake was linked to reduced body weight and impaired performance, highlighting a complex interplay between activity and element kinetics.

Medical Biochemistry - Inorganic Elements and Compounds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in medical biochemistry - inorganic elements and compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Osteoblast: A bone-forming cell that synthesises and mineralises organic matrix, essential for skeletal remodelling.

Osteoclast: A bone-resorbing cell that degrades mineralised matrix, balancing formation and repair.

Chelate: A stable coordination complex in which a multidentate ligand binds a metal ion, often improving solubility and bioavailability.

Gasotransmitter: An endogenously generated gaseous signalling molecule—such as carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulphide—that diffuses across membranes to regulate physiology.

Carbon monoxide-releasing molecule (CORM): A metal carbonyl or coordination compound engineered to deliver controlled CO doses under physiological conditions.

Proteomics: High-throughput analysis of protein expression and post-translational modifications within a biological sample.

Ligand-field stabilization energy (LFSE): Energy difference arising from d-orbital splitting in a metal complex, critical for tuning redox and coordination properties.

References

1. Drug repositioning of polaprezinc for bone fracture healing. Communications Biology (2022).
2. Chronic treatment with fluoride affects the jejunum: insights from proteomics and enteric innervation analysis. Scientific Reports (2018).
3. Enteric innervation combined with proteomics for the evaluation of the effects of chronic fluoride exposure on the duodenum of rats. Scientific Reports (2017).
4. Effect of chronic exercise on fluoride metabolism in fluorosis-susceptible mice exposed to high fluoride. Scientific Reports (2018).
5. Development of carbon monoxide-releasing molecules conjugated to polysaccharides (glyco-CORMs) for delivering CO during obesity. Pharmacological Research (2023).
6. Light responsive metal–organic frameworks as controllable CO-releasing cell culture substrates. Chemical Science (2017).
7. Serum copper, zinc and copper/zinc ratio in relation to survival after breast cancer diagnosis: A prospective multicenter cohort study. Redox Biology (2023).