Nucleic acids interactions with drugs

Electrochemical research on DNA is of great relevance to explain many biological mechanisms. The DNA-modified electrode is a very good model for simulating the nucleic acid interaction with cell membranes, potential environmental carcinogenic compounds and to clarify the mechanisms of action of drugs used as chemotherapeutic agents. 

Nucleic acid structures and sequences primary and secondary structure of DNA fragments, translocation of genes between two chromosomes, detection of nucleic acid hybridization, formation of hairpin structures (see Box 9.4), interaction with drugs, DNA triple helix, DNA-protein interaction, automated DNA sequencing, etc. 

Conformation of Nucleic Acids and Their Interactions with Drugs... 

The book concludes with Part 6 dealing with several new developments in the field of antitumor Pt compounds. Farrell et al. present novel di- and trinuclear Pt11 compounds which display marked antitumor activity and, at the same time, have DNA-binding properties different from those of cis-platin. Kelland describes orally active PtIV drugs presently in Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials. New and fast mechanism-based methods for screening Pt compounds for potential antitumor activity are the topic of the chapter by Sandman and Lippard. Finally, Kozelka critically examines the contribution that computational studies can make to the field of Pt-nucleic acid interactions. He ends with an optimistic outlook for using ab initio molecular-dynamics calculations in the near future. 

Recent reviews in the field of platinum anticancer drugs focus on platinum-nucleobase chemistry [7], biological processing of platinum-modified DNA [8], trans-platinum anticancer drugs [5], cisplatin and derived anticancer drugs [4,9], proteins and cisplatin [10], trans-diam-mineplatinum(II) and nucleic acids [11], and catalytic activity and DNA [12], just to mention a few. The aim of this review is to explore the chemistry in the interaction of various platinum compounds with nucleic... 

Macromolecules of biological origin perform various functions in the body. For example, proteins which perform the role of biological catalysts in the body are called enzymes, those which are crucial to communication system in the body are called receptors. Carrier proteins carry polar molecules across the cell membrane. Nucleic acids have coded genetic information for the cell. Lipids and carbohydrates are structural parts of the cell membrane. We shall explain the drug-target interaction with the examples of enzymes and receptors. 

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