Cytotoxic activity/agents

As an example of the integration of signals by this pathway, I will refer to some of our own ongoing research. We have found that many cytotoxic agents activate JNK, but the decision to undergo apoptosis can be influenced by the activity of ERK. For example, incubation of human ML-1 cells with anisomycin caused potent activation of JNK and onset of apo-... 

Clinically, GM-CSF or G-CSF have been used to accelerate recovery after chemotherapy and total body or extended field irradiation, situations that cause neutropenia and decreased platelets, and possibly lead to fatal septic infection or diffuse hemorrhage, respectively. G-CSF and GM-CSF reproducibly decrease the period of granulocytopenia, the number of infectious episodes, and the length of hospitalization in such patients (152), although it is not clear that dose escalation of the cytotoxic agent and increased cure rate can be rehably achieved. One aspect of the effects of G-CSF and GM-CSF is that these agents can activate mature cells to function more efficiently. This may, however, also lead to the production of cytokines, such as TNF- a, that have some toxic side effects. In general, both cytokines are reasonably well tolerated. The side effect profile of G-CSF is more favorable than that of GM-CSF. Medullary bone pain is the only common toxicity. 

Interestingly, all these monoclonal antibodies have a poor antitumor activity when used as single agents, with overall response rates of about 10%. Thereby, these monoclonal antibodies have all been approved in combination with classical cytotoxic agents or radiation therapy. 

Utilizing an alternate mode of Diels-Alder reactivity, Harman has examined the cycloaddition reactions of 4,5-T -Os(II)pentaammine-3-vinylpyrrole complexes with suitably activated dienophiles <96JA7117>. For instance, cycloaddition of the p-vinylpyrrole complex 58 with 4-cyclopentene-l,3-dione, followed by DDQ oxidation affords 59, possessing the fused-ring indole skeleton of the marine cytotoxic agent, herbindole B. 

HU is an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides. HU is thus a cytotoxic agent as it has the ability to inhibit DNA synthesis. Consequently, H U can affect only cells that are actively synthesizing DNA and, therefore, a drug of S-phase cell-cycle specific. Moreover, HU-mediated inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase is reversible, implying that the action of HU will exhibit a relatively straight forward concentration-time course dependence [2—4-]. 

Pyridazines continued to play a central role in the construction of new biologically active compounds. 2,7-Dihydro-3//-pyridazino 5,4,3-17 acridin-3-ones were synthesized as cytotoxic agents <05BMC1969> and 6-(5-chloro-3-methylbenzofuran-2-sulfonyl)-2//-... 

Wadler, S. and Schwartz, E.L., Antineoplastic activity of the combination of interferon and cytotoxic agents against experimental and human malignancies A review, Cancer Res., 50, 3473, 1990. 

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