MEDRADSC 3U03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Wild Type, Biomonitoring, P53
4 Jan 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Chemotherapy coined at the turn of the 20th century: use of chemicals of a known composition for the treatment of parasites. Most chemotherapeutic agents work by affecting dna synthesis or function: do not usually kill resting cells unless the cell divides shortly after drug exposure, effectiveness of drug is limited by growth fraction of the tumour. Rapidly growing neoplasia vs. large tumour masses. Agents come in two general categories: cell-cycle or phase specific, cell-cycle or phase nonspecific. Cis-platinum compounds produce interstrand cross-links: inhibit dna synthesis. Taxanes bind to microtubules, preventing disassembly: block cells in g2/m phase. 100s of chemotherapeutic agents: alkylating agents, antibiotics, antimetabolites, nucleoside analogues, taxanes, topoisomerase inhibitors. All have dose-response relationships: many are quite complex. Highly reactive compounds which substitute alkyl groups for hydrogen atoms in dna. Lipid soluble and can pass through the blood-brain barrier. Directly bind to dna: major inhibiting effect is on dna and rna synthesis. Produces many severe side-effects: dose limiting is cardiac damage.
