Block 9 - Week 6

Question 1

Dacarbazine

Answer 1

Alkylating agent - attaches it’s alkyl group to DNA bases resulting in DNA fragmentation by repair enzymes hence preventing DNA synthesis and RNA transcription from affected DNA

Question 2

Cyclophosphamide

Answer 2

Alkylating agent - must be activated in the liver to its metabolite Aldo phosphamide

Question 3

Rituximab

Answer 3

Monoclonal antibody which binds to CD20 antigen found on surface of normal and malignant B lymphocytes and mediates cell lysis - used in treatment of non-Hodgkins lymphoma

Question 4

Doxorubicin

Answer 4

DNA/RNA synthesis inhibitor
Antibiotic and anti tumour drug
Complexes with DNA by intercalation between base pairs and inhibits topoisomerase II activity

Question 5

Paclitaxal

Answer 5

Microtubule stabilisation agent - binds to B-Tubulin causing hyper stabilisation of micro tubule reorganising cytoskeleton which is Important for cell function and key to cellular transport

In cancer it inhibits Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic molecule which prevents apoptosis of cancer cells) so that apoptosis of cancer cells can take place

Question 6

Tamoxifen

Answer 6

Selective oestrogen receptor modulator . Binds to estrogen receptor hence preventing oestrogen from binding so that the cancer cells can’t get the oestrogen (hormones ) they need to proliferate

Question 7

5-fluorouracil

Answer 7

Pyrimidine analogue

Antimetabolite which masquerade as purine and pyrimidine and become incorporated into DNA during the S phase of the cell cycle stopping normal development and division

Inhibiting DNA and RNA synthesis and causing cell death

Question 8

Etoposide

Answer 8

DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor therefore inhibiting DNA re-ligation causing critical errors in DNA synthesis and leading to apoptosis of cancer cell

S phase and G2 phase of cell division

Question 9

Vinblastine

Answer 9

Tubulin polymerase inhibitor - inhibits mitosis at metaphase causes the crystallisation of micro tubule at the mitosis spindle leading to motorists arrest or cell death

Question 10

Imatinib

Answer 10

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor
Binds to the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase leading to inhibition of cell proliferation driven by Bcr -able positive cells whilst inducing apoptosis

Question 11

Tretinoin

Answer 11

Vitamin A analogue binds to alpha , beta RARs(retinoic acid receptors) which are associated with the development of acute promyelocytic leukaemia