Vanadium’s promise in medicine and the researchers who refuse to give up

While most chemists will be familiar with vanadium in the context of metallurgy, catalysis and battery technologies, appreciation of its clinical applications is reserved for a much smaller subset of scientists.

However, the research is there – and has been for some time. There is a small, but very dedicated, pool of scientists spread across the world who see, and have demonstrated, the promise of vanadium-based compounds for treating cancers and parasitic diseases.

Due to their ability to affect signalling pathways, inhibit protein tyrosine phosphatases, enhance and inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species, and influence metabolism, interest in the medicinal applications of vanadium coordination complexes and vanadium salts has been there for many years.

Initially much of the focus was on type 2 diabetes. There are a few proposed mechanisms but vanadium compounds have been reported to activate Akt signalling, which is central to glucose and lipid metabolism, and tyrosine phosphorylation by inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, which is involved in the insulin-signalling pathway.

However, the field has faced endless hurdles along the way that have significantly reduced vanadium’s appeal.