IMMUNE PHARMACOLOGY-PART-VIII-NATURAL PRODUCTS-Continued...

ANTICANCER DRUGS-ANTIBIOTICS

These are special antibiotics to terminate or suppress neoplastic malignant cells. Most of the antibiotics are from natural sources such as strains of the soil fungus Streptomyces.

1.Dactinomycin (Actinomycin-D):-

Mechanism:-

Dactinomycin binds with the double strands of DNA to form a complex which suppresses the activity of the enzyme RNA polymerase and thereby suppresses cell mitosis.

Also, it causes DNA single-strand break.

Uses:-

1.Choriocarcinoma

2.Wilm's tumor and Rhabdomyosarcoma especially in children.

3.Testicle cancer

4.Kaposi's sarcoma

Route of Administration:-

It can be given through I.V.

Side effects:-

1.Bone marrow suppression

2.Nausea and vomiting

3. Skin problems associated with prior radiotherapy may occur.

2.Doxorubicin And Daunorubicin:-

These two antibiotics belong to a chemical group of anthracycline and have a combined anti-tumor mechanism by blocking DNA and RNA synthesis.

They damage the cell membrane. They disrupt DNA single strands by forming free oxygen radicals.

Clinical Uses:-

a)Daunorubicin:-

Acute granulocytic and lymphocytic leukemias   

b)Doxorubicin:-

1.Soft tissue, osteogenic and other sarcomas

2.Hodkin's disease

3.Non-Hodkin's Lymphomas

4.Acute leukemias

5.Neuroblastoma

6.Cancers of the soft tissues like genitourinary, thyroid, breast, lung, and stomach.

Route:

Intravenously.

Side effects:-

1.Irreversible Heart toxicities due to free oxygen radical formations

2.Bone marrow suppression.

3.Alopecia.

4.Nausea and vomiting.

5.Stomatitis.(Inflammation of the mouth and lips)

3.Bleomycin:-

Mechanism:-

Bleomycin produces free oxygen radicals which cause DNA damages.

Clinical Use:-

1.Cancers of Testis

2.Cancers of head and neck

3.Cancers of skin, esophagus, lungs, and Genitourinary system.

4.Hodkin's disease.

5.Non-Hodkin's lymphomas

Route:-

1.Intravenous

2.intramuscular

3.Subcutaneous

4.Intracavitary.

Side effects:-

1.Bronchial and Lung toxicity.

2.Fever and chills

3.Mucocutaneous toxicity

4.Anaphylaxis.