Macromolecules Containing Metal and Metal-Like Elements, Biomedical Applications

Metal and metalloid-containing compounds exhibit a wide range of biological and biocidal activities, some of which have been employed in medicines and drugs. Polymers containing metal or metalloid functions become a natural extension of this effort; just as organic compound drugs have been chemically bound to polymers or physically imbibed into polymer matrices in order to provide a variety of useful advantages, the same opportunities exist for using metal and metalloid species. This volume will cover important biomedical applications of organometallic compounds, including metal-labeled DNA on surfaces, artificial metallo-DNA, organotin molecules as anti-cancer drugs, and much more.