Antitumor activity, effect

Plants and microorganisms produce unique and diverse chemical stmctures, some of which act as immunomodulators (18—28). Of specimens used in traditional medicine, approximately 450 plant species have shown antiviral activity out of 4000 plants screened (19). Several tannins (20) exhibit strong inhibition of tumor promotion experimentally. Pretreatment of mice with small amounts of tannins for several days strongly rejected transplanted tumors. This activity has been claimed to be effected through enhancement of host-mediated antitumor activity. 

Interferons (lENs) (52,53), a family of species-specific vertebrate proteins, confer nonspecific resistance to a broad range of viral infections, affect cell proliferation, and modulate immune responses. AH three principal interferons, a-interferon (lEN-a) produced by blood leucocytes, P-interferon (lEN-P) by fibroblasts, and y-interferon (lEN-y) by lymphocytes, also have antiviral activity. The abiUty of interferons to inhibit growth of transplantable and carcinogen-induced tumor led to research showing the direct antiproliferative and indirect immune-mediated antitumor activities (see Chemotherapeutics, anticancer). IENs have been found to be efficacious in certain malignancies and viral infections, eg, hairy cell leukemia (85% response) and basal cell carcinoma (86% response). However, the interferons do have adverse side effects (54). 

Cytokines, eg, interferons, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and certain growth factors, could have antitumor activity directiy, or may modulate cellular mechanisms of antitumor activity (2). Cytokines may be used to influence the proliferation and differentiation of T-ceUs, B-ceUs, macrophage—monocyte, myeloid, or other hematopoietic cells. Alternatively, the induction of interferon release may represent an important approach for synthetic—medicinal chemistry, to search for effective antiinflammatory and antifibrotic agents. Inducers of interferon release may also be useful for lepromatous leprosy and chronic granulomatous disease. The potential cytokine and cytokine-related therapeutic approaches to treatment of disease are summarized in Table 4. A combination of cytokines is a feasible modaUty for treatment of immunologically related diseases however, there are dangers inherent in such an approach, as shown by the induction of lethal disserninated intravascular coagulation in mice adrninistered TNF-a and IFN-y. 

Antineoplastic Drugs. Cyclophosphamide (193) produces antineoplastic effects (see Chemotherapeutics, anticancer) via biochemical conversion to a highly reactive phosphoramide mustard (194) it is chiral owing to the tetrahedral phosphoms atom. The therapeutic index of the (3)-(-)-cyclophosphamide [50-18-0] (193) is twice that of the (+)-enantiomer due to increased antitumor activity the enantiomers are equally toxic (139). The effectiveness of the DNA intercalator dmgs adriamycin [57-22-7] (195) and daunomycin [20830-81-3] (196) is affected by changes in stereochemistry within the aglycon portions of these compounds. Inversion of the carbohydrate C-1 stereocenter provides compounds without activity. The carbohydrate C-4 epimer of adriamycin, epimbicin [56420-45-2] is as potent as its parent molecule, but is significandy less toxic (139). 

Kim et al. (1987) showed that the prolonged retention time of Ara-C in the peritoneal cavity after intraperitoneal administration of the drug in liposomal form as discussed above resulted in better therapeutic effects on intraperitoneally inoculated L1210 cells, as compared to the free drug. The activity of intraperitoneally administered cDDP on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice was increased after encapsulation in neutral liposomes (Sur et al., 1983). The in vivo studies revealed improved antitumor activity and a lower toxicity sifter administration of cDDP liposomes compared to free drug. 

Selective bioreductive alkylation in high DT-diaphorase cancer types (melanoma renal and nonsmall-cell lung cancers)15 would exhibit maximal antitumor activity with minimal side effects. 

Interferon-a2b has diverse mechanisms of action, including antiviral activity, impact on cellular metabolism and differentiation, and antitumor activity.42 The antitumor activity is due to a combination of direct antiproliferative effect on tumor cells and indirect immune-mediated effects.42 Interferon-a2b is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as adjuvant therapy for patients who are free of disease after curative surgical resection but are at high risk of MM recurrence. This includes patients with bulky disease or regional lymph node involvement such as stage IIB, IIC, or III disease.43 It is controversial if interferon-a2b (IFN) should be offered as adjuvant therapy for every high-risk MM patient. The reason is because clinical trials with different doses of IFN have not proved definitively that IFN improves overall patient survival. 

So, in order to provide a macromolecular prodrug of 5FU with reduced side-effects, having affinity for tumor cells and exhibiting a high antitumor activity, the present paper is concerned with the design of hybrid type conjugates of chitin-... 

Dihydro-4//,8//-pyrimido[2,l-3][l,3]thiazine-7-carboxylic esters and amides exhibited high activity on antiinflammatory and antipyretic tests <1996EJM663>. 8-(Benzoylbenzyloxy) and (benzoylbenzylthio)-7-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2//,6//-pyrimido[2,l-3][l,3]thiazin-6-ones exhibit antitumor activity <1996EPP0733633>. 9-Amino- or 9-methyl-3.4-dihydro-2//,6//-pyrimido[2,l -3, 1,3]thiazin-6-oncs have anticorrosive effect <2003RUP2198245>. 

In addition to their possible prooxidant activity (see above) polyphenols and flavonoids may influence cancer cells via their antioxidant properties. Recently, Jang et al. [219] studied cancer chemopreventive activity of resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound derived from grapes (Chapter 29). These authors showed that resveratrol inhibited the development of preneoplastic lesions in carcinogen-treated mouse mammary glands in culture and inhibited tumorigenesis in a mouse skin cancer model. Flavonoids silymarin and silibinin also exhibited antitumor-promoting effects at the stage I tumor promotion in mouse skin [220] and manifested antiproliferative effects in rat prostate cancer cells [221]. 

Two milestones in chemistry may be addressed to the geometric isomers of diamminedichloroplatinum(II). About 100 years ago Alfred Werner laid down the principles of modem coordination chemistry with the help of isomeric [PtCl2(NH3)2] [1]. About 70 years later Barnett Rosenberg and co-workers discovered that the cis isomer is antitumor active, whereas the trans isomer is not [2,3]. Today m-[PtCl2(NH3)2] (cisplatin) is routinely used as a drug, particularly effective against testicular and ovarian cancer [4],... 

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