Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of Monoisoamyl Dimercaptosuccinic Acid: A Chelating Agent for Chronic Metal Poisoning

Arsenic, a metalloid, is known to cause deleterious effects in various body organs, particularly the liver, urinary bladder, and brain, and these effects are primarily mediated through oxidative stress. Chelation therapy has been considered one of the promising medical treatments for arsenic poisoning. Meso 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) has been recognized as one of the most effective chelating drugs to treat arsenic poisoning. However, the drug is compromised with a number of shortcomings, including the inability to treat chronic arsenic poisoning due to its extracellular distribution. Monoisoamyl 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid, one of the analogues of meso 2,3-dimeraptosuccinic acid (DMSA), is a lipophilic chelator and has shown promise to be considered as a potential future chelating agent/antidote not only for arsenic but also for a few other heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and gallium arsenide. The results from numerous studies carried out in the recent past, mainly from our group, strongly support the clinical application of MiADMSA. This review paper summarizes most of the scientific details including the chemistry, pharmacology, and safety profile of MiADMSA. The efficacy of MiADMSA mainly against arsenic toxicity but also a few other heavy metals was also discussed. We also reviewed a few other strategies in order to achieve the optimum effects of MiADMSA, like combination therapy using two chelating agents or coadministration of a natural and synthetic antioxidant (including phytomedicine) along with MiADMSA for treatment of metal/ metalloid poisoning. We also briefly discussed the use of nanotechnology (nano form of MiADMSA i.e. nano-MiADMSA) and compared it with bulk MiADMSA. All these strategies have been shown to be beneficial in getting more pronounced therapeutic efficacy of MiADMSA, as an adjuvant or as a complementary agent, by significantly increasing the chelating efficacy of MiADMSA.