Are vanadium compounds drugable? Structures and effects of antidiabetic vanadium compounds: a critical review.

Vanadate can be bioequivalent to phosphate and replace it in cellular metabolism. The detection of insulin-like activity has spurred interest in the development of oral anti-diabetic drugs containing vanadium. We collected and evaluated a vast toxicity data set and discussed molecular aspects related to insulin-mimetic effects of vanadium complexes.