Transition Metals Used in the Treatment of Cancer

Transition metals are chemical elements that fall in Groups 3 through 12 of the periodic table. Including such precious metals as gold and silver, they are known for being metallic in their natural states, with high melting and boiling points, and are very dense. Based on a recent study, transition metals may be effective in killing certain types of cancer cells previously immune to other kinds of cancer drugs.

Transition Metals Defined

• Transition metals, also known as transition elements, are solids at room temperature, with the most notable exception being mercury, which is liquid in its natural state. The most popular transition metals are precious metals such as gold, silver and copper, and they are known for being good catalysts, easing the creation of certain compounds. For example, iron is an important part of the process that binds nitrogen and hydrogen in the formation of ammonia.

How Do Transition Metals Kill Cancer?

• Transition metals are very effective in combining with other elements to form certain compounds, especially those compounds used to create drugs that kill cells. When used in cancer drugs, the atoms of transition metals latch on to the DNA of cancer cells and tricks the cells into self-destructing. Cisplatin, one of the most effective cancer drugs, contains the transition metal platinum.

Transition Metals and Important Cancer Research

• According to an October 2009 article in "Science News Daily," researchers using cancer drugs containing transition elements osmium and ruthenium were effective in killing ovarian and colon cancer cells in subjects. Conducted at the University of Leeds and the University of Warwick, both in England, researchers were also able to use these transition metals to kill cancer cells that had built up an immunity to Cisplatin.

Can Transition Metals Cause Cancer?

• Oddly enough, in a German study in 2006, researchers found that high levels of transition elements such as iron, copper and lead may cause malignant cancer cell growth in breast tissue. Transition metal cadmium, considered a major player in breast cancer cell growth by the National Institutes of Health, can pose an imminent threat because of its presence in cigarette smoke and contaminated food and water.