Chapter 12: Chemotherapy Flashcards
Chemotherapy
treating disease using chemicals
Chemotherapy History
- Folk Remedies: moldy bread, willow bark, foxglove (digitalis active ingredient, plant), Quinine (ingredient in toxic water); used to prevent Malaria)
- Ehrlich (father of Chemotherapy): Salvarsan, “magic bullet” (prevent syphilis)
- Sulfa drugs (sulfonamides): Prontosil (1935; red dye); active ingredient Sulfanilamide
- Antibiotic discovery: Fleming (1928); mold penicillium: active ingredient penicillin; on market 1944
Chemotherapy History: Folk remedies
- moldy bread
- willow bark
- foxglove (digitalis active ingredient, plant)
- Quinine (ingredient in toxic water; used to prevent malaria)
Chemotherapy History: Ehrlich
- Father of Chemotherapy
- Salvarsan; “Magic Bullet” (prevent syphilis)
Chemotherapy History: Sulfa Drugs (sulfonamides)
-Prontosil (1935; red dye); active ingredient Sulfanilamide
Chemotherapy History: Antibiotic discovery
-Fleming (1928); mold penicillium: active ingredient penicillin; on market 1944
Antibiotics
- substances produced by living organisms that have anti-microbial ability
- substance produced by the natural metabolic processes of some microorganisms that can inhibit or destroy other microorganisms
Synthetic Drugs
Antimicrobial compounds synthesized in the laboratory through chemical reactions
Semi-Synthetic Drugs
Drugs that are chemically modified in the lab after being isolated from natural sources
- half made in lab/half made naturally
ex: Penicillin
Example of a Semi-synthetic Drug
Penicillin
Characteristics of the ideal Anti-microbial Drug
- Selectively toxic to microbe but nontoxic to host cells
- Microbicidal rather than microbistatic
- Relatively soluble; functions even when highly diluted in body fluids
- Remains potent long enough to act and is not broken down or excreted prematurely
- Doesnt lead to development of antimicrobial resistance
- Complements or assists the activities of the hosts defenses
- Remains active in Tissues + body fluids
- Readily delivered to the site of infection
- Reasonably priced
- Does not disrupt the hosts health by causing allergies or predisposing the host to other infections
Criteria for Evaluation of Antimicrobial Drugs: Spectrum of Activity
(range of activity)
- Broad (extended): start with this first because you don’t know what you have
- Narrow (limited)
Very Important Criterion for Evaluation of Antimicrobial Drugs
resistance not acquired easily
Ketoconazole
- antifungal
- first oral antifungal drug
Mefloquine
used for malaria
- used to treat resistant cases
- semi-synthetic
Niclosamide
used for tapeworms
-destroys scolex and adjoining proglottids of tapeworms
Praziquantel
used for flukes + tapeworms
How microbes require resistance
- Genetic changes (mutation) followed by natural selection = chromosomal resistance
- Transfer of R plasmids: transformation; conjugation; transduction= extra-chromosomal resistance
How Microbes Require Resistance: Genetic changes
-Genetic changes (mutation) followed by natural selection = chromosomal resistance
How Microbes Require Resistance: Transfer of R plasmids
transformation; conjugation. transduction = extra-chromosomal resistance
How to Limit Spread of Resistance
Correct these problems:
-misdiagnosis by physician; wrong dosage
-noncompliance by patient (patient doesn’t follow directions); proximity; office visit; hospital workers
>mechanism: natural selection
Mechanisms of Resistance
Drug resistance may take the form of: -Inactivation of the drug -Decreased permeability to the drug -Increased elimination of the drug from the cell -Change in drug receptors -Change of metabolic pathway: >development of enzymes >alteration of an enzyme
Strategic Approaches to the use of Chemotherapeutics
- Prophylaxis: drugs are administered to prevent infection in susceptible people
- Combined Therapy: two or more drugs are given simultaneously, either to prevent the emergence of resistant species or to achieve synergism (use 2 drugs to increase a enhanced microbial affect)
Strategic Approaches to the use of Chemotherapeutics: Prophylaxis
drugs are administered to prevent infection in susceptible people