Copper and its complexes in medicine: a biochemical approach.

The fundamental role of copper and the recognition of its complexes as important bioactive compounds in vitro and in vivo aroused an ever-increasing interest in these agents as potential drugs for therapeutic intervention in various diseases. The vast array of information available for their bioinorganic properties and mode of action in several biological systems, combined with the new opportunities offered by the flourishing technologies of medicinal chemistry, is creating an exciting scenario for the development of a novel generation of highly active drugs with minimized side effects which could add significantly to the current clinical research and practice. In this paper we attempt to summarize all the available-to-date information on these issues.