PHA 4107 Midterm: Review of Chemotherapeutic Drugs- Midterm 2

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Pharmacology
• Course: PHA 4107
• Professor: Christine Pratt

Document Summary

Alkylating agents: transfer alkyl groups to g"s in adjacent strands cross-linking of dna bases, cross-linked dna can result in strand breaks (cell death) or mismatch repair (mutation) Interferes with normal cellular process by using drugs with structures closely related to endogenous molecules: rapidly growing cancers. Intercalates with dna and causes strand breaks in dna. Drug for all seasons : 4-ring structure generates reactive oxygen species (ros) strand breaks. Drugs that inhibit microtubules: prevent mitosis by interfering with mitotic spindle, use where there is a lot of cell division. Drugs that target dna unwinding enzymes (topoisomerases: unwinding = necessary for dna transcription/synthesis, need to avoid supercoiling, drugs can intercalate ros block topoisomerase. G"s on dna: attaches alkyl group to g"s on opposite strands at n7. Dna linked together - makes it difficult to copy dna because you have to separate strands: prototype alkylating agent, metabolized by.