Abstract
Over the past two to three decades, gallium compounds have gained importance in the fields of medicine and electronics. In clinical medicine, radioactive gallium and stable gallium nitrate are used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in cancer and disorders of calcium and bone metabolism. In addition, gallium compounds have displayed anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity in animal models of human disease while more recent studies have shown that gallium compounds may function as antimicrobial agents against certain pathogens. In a totally different realm, the chemical properties of gallium arsenide have led to its use in the semiconductor industry. Gallium compounds, whether used medically or in the electronics field, have toxicities. Patients receiving gallium nitrate for the treatment of various diseases may benefit from such therapy, but knowledge of the therapeutic index of this drug is necessary to avoid clinical toxicities. Animals exposed to gallium arsenide display toxicities in certain organ systems suggesting that environmental risks may exist for individuals exposed to this compound in the workplace. Although the arsenic moiety of gallium arsenide appears to be mainly responsible for its pulmonary toxicity, gallium may contribute to some of the detrimental effects in other organs. The use of older and newer gallium compounds in clinical medicine may be advanced by a better understanding of their mechanisms of action, drug resistance, pharmacology, and side-effects. This review will discuss the medical applications of gallium and its mechanisms of action, the newer gallium compounds and future directions for development, and the toxicities of gallium compounds in current use.
Highlights
Gallium is a group IIIA metal, atomic number 31 in the periodic table of elements
Harris and Sephton showed that the uptake of radiogallium by malignant cell lines in vitro could be significantly enhanced by the addition of transferrin to the culture medium [57]; the clinical relevance of this finding was underscored by the studies of Vallabhajosula et al who showed that in the blood radiogallium binds to transferrin and is transported to tumor tissue [56]
Gallium interfered with iron acquisition by M. tuberculosis within the macrophage phagosome resulting in a bactericidal action which could be prevented by excess iron [108]
Summary
Gallium is a group IIIA metal, atomic number 31 in the periodic table of elements. First discovered in 1875 by Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in France, the name of this metal appears to be derived from “Gallia”, the Latin word for France. Gallium is present at a concentration of 5–15 mg/kg in the earth’s crust and is obtained as a byproduct from the extraction of aluminum and zinc ores [1] It has a shiny, silvery-white color, with a melting temperature of 28.7646 oC (85.5763 oF); it is one of the few metals that is near-liquid at room temperature and can melt when held in the hand. Gallium has no known physiologic function in the human body, certain of its characteristics enable it to interact with cellular processes and biologically important proteins, especially those of iron metabolism This has led to the development of certain gallium compounds as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in medicine especially in the areas of metabolic bone disease, cancer, and infectious disease. The present review will provide an update of the medical applications of gallium and the toxicities of gallium compounds in medicine and the electronics industry
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