anti-cancer drugs Flashcards
what are the cell cycle specific drugs?
anti-metabolites, mitotic inhibitors
what are the cell cycle non-specific drugs?
alkylating drugs, platinating drugs, cytotoxic antibodies, topoisomerase inhibitors
mechanism of alkylating drugs?
alkylates DNA, crosslinking it so it cannot unwind for replication and transcription; can also cause double and single stranded breaks
mechanism for platinating drugs?
act like alkylating drugs but more intra-strand than inter-strand links
examples of alkylating drugs
cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil
examples of platinating drugs
cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin
mechanism of anti-metabolites
inhibits purine and pyrimidine synthesis hence preventing DNA replication
examples of anti-metabolites
methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil
contrast methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil
methotrexate
- inhibits dihydrofolate reductase
- for lymphoma and breast cancer
5-fluorouracil
- inhibits thymidylate synthase
- for colorectal cancer
mechanism of cytotoxic antibodies
- intercalating base pairs along DNA strands so they cannot replicate
- creates free oxygen radicals that damage DNA and cell membranes
- inhibits topoisomerase II
- alters membrane fluidity and ion transport
examples of cytotoxic antibodies
daunorubicin, doxorubicin
types of mitotic inhibitors
vinca alkaloids and taxanes
general mechanism of mitotic inhibitors
disrupts microtubule function hence disrupting mitosis and cell splitting
vinca alkaloids mechanism and examples
binds to polymerising ends, preventing microtubules from elongating
vinblastine, vincristine, vinorelbine (vin-)
taxanes mechanism and examples
bind along the microtubules, stabilising it and preventing it from shortening
paclitaxel, docetaxel, cabazitaxel (-tax-)
