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Magnesium as a Janus-faced inhibitor of calcification. Vascular calcification is a life-threatening complication in patients with chronic kidney disease. Magnesium is a potent inhibitor of calcification and attracting attention as a new therapeutic candidate. ter Braake and colleagues demonstrate that magnesium supplementation strikingly prevents vascular calcification in Klotho knockout mice. However, these mice also show osteomalacia, indicating that magnesium has a Janus face. Maximizing the beneficial effects of magnesium without causing bone mineralization defects is an important next challenge.