Chelation: Harnessing and Enhancing Heavy Metal Detoxification—A Review
Open Access
- 18 April 2013
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in The Scientific World Journal
- Vol. 2013, 1-13
- https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/219840
Abstract
Toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are ubiquitous, have no beneficial role in human homeostasis, and contribute to noncommunicable chronic diseases. While novel drug targets for chronic disease are eagerly sought, potentially helpful agents that aid in detoxification of toxic elements, chelators, have largely been restricted to overt acute poisoning. Chelation, that is multiple coordination bonds between organic molecules and metals, is very common in the body and at the heart of enzymes with a metal cofactor such as copper or zinc. Peptides glutathione and metallothionein chelate both essential and toxic elements as they are sequestered, transported, and excreted. Enhancing natural chelation detoxification pathways, as well as use of pharmaceutical chelators against heavy metals are reviewed. Historical adverse outcomes with chelators, lessons learned in the art of using them, and successes using chelation to ameliorate renal, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions highlight the need for renewed attention to simple, safe, inexpensive interventions that offer potential to stem the tide of debilitating, expensive chronic disease. Toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are ubiquitous, have no beneficial role in human homeostasis, and contribute to noncommunicable chronic diseases. While novel drug targets for chronic disease are eagerly sought, potentially helpful agents that aid in detoxification of toxic elements, chelators, have largely been restricted to overt acute poisoning. Chelation, that is multiple coordination bonds between organic molecules and metals, is very common in the body and at the heart of enzymes with a metal cofactor such as copper or zinc. Peptides glutathione and metallothionein chelate both essential and toxic elements as they are sequestered, transported, and excreted. Enhancing natural chelation detoxification pathways, as well as use of pharmaceutical chelators against heavy metals are reviewed. Historical adverse outcomes with chelators, lessons learned in the art of using them, and successes using chelation to ameliorate renal, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions highlight the need for renewed attention to simple, safe, inexpensive interventions that offer potential to stem the tide of debilitating, expensive chronic disease.Keywords
This publication has 103 references indexed in Scilit:
- Design of the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT)American Heart Journal, 2012
- Environmental Determinants of Chronic Disease and Medical Approaches: Recognition, Avoidance, Supportive Therapy, and DetoxificationJournal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012
- Mercury Toxicity and Treatment: A Review of the LiteratureJournal of Environmental and Public Health, 2011
- Safety and efficacy of oral DMSA therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders: Part B - Behavioral resultsBMC Clinical Pharmacology, 2009
- The Severity of Autism Is Associated with Toxic Metal Body Burden and Red Blood Cell Glutathione LevelsJournal of Toxicology, 2009
- Metallothionein protection of cadmium toxicityToxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2009
- The Role of Intracellular Glutathione in Inorganic Mercury-Induced Toxicity in Neuroblastoma CellsNeurochemical Research, 2009
- MRP2 and the DMPS- and DMSA-Mediated Elimination of Mercury in TR− and Control Rats Exposed to Thiol S-Conjugates of Inorganic MercuryToxicological Sciences, 2008
- Multidrug Resistance Proteins and the Renal Elimination of Inorganic Mercury Mediated by 2,3-Dimercaptopropane-1-Sulfonic Acid and Meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic AcidJournal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2007
- Dietary calcium supplementation to lower blood lead levels in pregnancy and lactation☆The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2007