Human diseases related to aluminium overload

In this paper attention is devoted to the role of aluminium in osteodistrophy and dialysis dementia. In fact, these diseases, in spite of the actions that have drastically reduced their occurrence, have so far constituted a cause of great medical concern. As a preliminary point, some aspects concerning the solution chemistry of aluminium are considered, then the medical problems are described and finally the chelation therapy of aluminium overload, giving some insight on the chelators recently proposed. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.