A method of treating or preventing a disease characterized by adverse expression and/or release of 10 kDa interferon-γ inducible protein, IP-10, comprises administering granules or particles made of a metal or an oxide of a metal to a subject suffering from the disease. A method of reducing IP-10 in a subject suffering from a disease characterized by adverse expression and/or release of IP-10 comprises administering granules or particles made of a metal or an oxide of a metal to the subject. The metal is a metal of group 4 or 5 of the periodic table of the elements and selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium and tantalum.
