Metals have been used in treatments since ancient times. The Ebers Papyrus from 1500BC is the first written account of the use of metals for treatment and describes the use of Copper to reduce inflammation and the use of iron to treat anemia. Sodium vanadate has been used since the early 20th century to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Recently metals have been used to treat cancer, by specifically attacking cancer cells and interacting directly with DNA. The positive charge on most metals can interact with the negative charge of the phosphate backbone of DNA. Some drugs developed that include metals interact directly with other metals already present in protein active sites, while other drugs can use metals to interact with amino acids with the highest reduction potential.
Examples of metals used in treatment include:
* Platinum: Platinum based compounds have been shown to specifically affect head and neck tumors. These coordination complexes are thought to act to cross-link DNA in tumor cells (Figure 2).
* Gold: Gold salt complexes have been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (Figure 3). The gold salts are believed to interact with albumin and eventually be taken up by immune cells, triggering anti-mitochondrial effects and eventually cell apoptosis. This is an indirect treatment of arthritis, mitigating the immune response. 
* Lithium: LiCO can be used to treat prophylaxis of manic depressive disorder. 
* Zinc: Zinc can be used topically to heal wounds. Zn can be used to treat the herpes virus.
* Silver: Silver has been used to prevent infection at the burn site for burn wound patients.
* Platinum, Titanium, Vanadium, Iron: cis DDP (cis-diaminedichoroplatinum), titanium, vanadium, and iron have been shown to react with DNA specifically in tumor cells to treat patients with cancer. 
* Gold, Silver, Copper: Phosphine ligand compounds containing gold, silver, and copper have anti-cancer properties.
* Lanthanum: Lanthanum Carbonate often used under the trade-name Fosrenol is used as a phosphate binder in patients with chronic kidney disease.
* Bismuth: Bismuth subsalicylate is used as an antacid.
* Zirconium: Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate is a potassium binder used in people with chronic kidney disease
* Arsenic: Arsenic trioxide is a chemotherapeutic used to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia