Chapter 2
Anticancer Drugs - D. Antibiotics
There are a number of antibiotics
being used as anticancer drugs. Examples of antitumor antibiotics include
doxorubicin, dactinomycin, epirubicin, and bleomycin. DNA binding agents can
have a number of outcomes which result in cell death. They usually are planer in
structure and multi-ringed to allow them to non-covalently bind to the bases in
DNA (and RNA). Compounds like actinomycin D turn off RNA syntheses once they
intercalate with the DNA. Compounds, like bleomycin, create free radicals after
intercalating with DNA strands.
In this section, we will focus on a
class of anticancer drugs, anthracyclines. Anthracyclines are derived from
Streptomyces bacteria. They are used to treat a number of cancers, including
breast, ovarian, and lung cancer as well as leukemia. Anthracyclines are known
to form intercalation with DNA to achieve anticancer effect although the
complete mechanism is somewhat complex (intercalation is a reversible inclusion between two different
molecules or groups). Anthracyclines have played a very important role in
chemotherapy and have been used in many different types of cancers.
Although anthracyclines are
effective against more cancers than most other classes of anticancer drug,
anthracyclines do have several adverse effects including cardiotoxicity. A
specific example of anthracyclines, Doxorubicin, is described below.
Doxorubicin
(trade names: Adriamycin PFS, Adriamycin RDF, or Rubex)
Doxorubicin (Figure 1.11) is closely
related to another anthracycline occurred naturally, daunorubicin. Just like
all anthracyclines, doxorubicin intercalates with DNA and causes structural
distortion of DNA. As a result, replication of DNA is inhibited and cancer
cells eventually die. However, this intercalation with DNA can also happen to
normal cells and causes significant side effects.
Fig. 1.11
Doxorubicin (left) and daunorubicin (right)
Doxorubicin is commonly used in the
treatment of a wide range of cancers, including breast, ovarian, and lung
cancer as well as leukemia. Doxorubicin is administered intravenously and its
main side effects include cardiomyopathy, myelosuppression, and secondary
malignancies.
© Jiajiu Shaw, 2019
Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book, "SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY", prepared by Dr. Jiajiu Shaw, Dr. Frederick Valeriote, and Dr. Ben Chen.
