Aminophosphonic acids of potential medical importance.

Aminophosphonic acids were almost unknown in 1959 but today they are the subject of more than 6000 papers. Their negligible mammalian toxicity, and the fact that they very efficiently mimic aminocarboxylic acids makes them extremely important antimetabolites, which compete with their carboxylic counterparts for the active sites of enzymes and other cell receptors. Although biological importance of these compounds was recognized over 50 years ago they still represent promising and somewhat undiscovered class of potential drugs.