Introduction

This free course, Metals in medicine, is comprised of two parts, which illustrate the key role metals play in medicine. The main focus of sections 1 – 3 is the role metals play in medical imaging, whereas sections 4 and 5 show how metal containing compounds play a crucial role in the treatment of many diseases including cancer.

After studying this course you will be able to answer the following questions:

• How can the measurement of signals from living tissue be converted into images useful for diagnostic medicine?
• What is an MRI contrast agent and how can the properties of metal complexes be applied to this role?
• What aspects of the coordination chemistry of cisplatin underpin its effectiveness as an anticancer treatment, and what are the shortcomings of this drug which have necessitated the search for alternatives?

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course S315 Chemistry: further concepts and applications.