Chemotherapeutic strategies

Interestingly, the requirement for myristate in bloodstream trypanosome GPI anchors is highly restrictive. Substitution with a closely related analog, 10-propoxydecanoic acid (0-11), is highly toxic to the trypanosomes [92]. Because trypanosomes neither make or store myristate [93] but rely on this relatively rare fatty acid in mammalian serum [94], and that analogs, such as 0-11, are selectively toxic to trypanosomes, new anti-trypanosomal chemotherapeutic strategies may be developed [92]. 

Traditional chemotherapeutic strategies, on the assumption that the majority of the cells within tumor are actively proliferating, have used a variety of drugs and hormonal agents that interfere with the basic cellular machinery (e.g., DNA synthesis and replication, cell cycle, and cytoskeleton) [57]. However, because cancer cells share many properties with their normal counterparts, the serious, sometimes life-threatening, side effects that arise from toxicities to sensitive normal cells limit the efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapy [58]. Improved understanding of the molecular alterations present in the cancer cells has enabled the... 

An important application of aldolase antibodies is prodrug activation in chemotherapeutic strategies. Activation of a prodrug into an active drug at the tumor site enables selective destruction of those tumor cells. This type of site-specific targeting is known as antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) [25]. The ADEPT complex serves two functions. The antibody portion of the complex enables delivery of the drug directly to the tu-... 

Polyamine Catabolism as a Therapeutic Target 5.5.1 Chemotherapeutic Strategies... 

Enyzme catalysis is thus essential for all life. Hence the selective inhibition of critical enzymes of infectious organisms (e.g., viruses, bacteria, and multicellular parasites) is an attractive means of chemotherapeutic intervention for infectious diseases. This strategy is well represented in modem medicine, with a significant portion of antiviral, antibiotic, and antiparasitic drugs in clinical use today deriving their therapeutic efficacy through selective enzyme inhibition (see Table 1.1 for some examples). 

Rideout, D., Calogeropoulou, T., Jaworski, J., and McCarthy, M. (1990) Synergism through direct covalent bonding between agents A strategy for rational design of chemotherapeutic combinations. Biopolymers 29, 247-262. 

Other major early contributions of biochemical engineering have been in the development of the artificial kidney and physiologically based pharmacokinetic models. The artificial kidney has been literally a lifesaver. Pharmacokinetic models divide the body of an animal or human into various compartments that act as bioreactors. These mathematical models have been used very successfully in developing therapeutic strategies for the optimal delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and in assessing risk from exposure to toxins. 

Additional spin-olf benefits from research on poisonous plants include the development of animal models for the study of human diseases, new techniques and technologies for diagnosis and treatment of livestock poisoning, development of antibody-based diagnostic tools (ELISAs), novel treatments (chemotherapeutic agents), the discovery of new bioactive compounds, and improved livestock management strategies to enhance animal and human health. 

Results with Surgery and Radiation Therapy Trials of Chemotherapeutic Agents Recursive Partitioning Analysis Specific Therapy Considerations in non-GBM Malignant Gliomas Radiation Therapy Strategies Novel Chemotherapeutic Agents Future Directions References... 

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