Current approaches to new drug development in cancer chemotherapy.
This review summarizes and discusses current developments of new antitumor agents, with particular reference to mechanism of action, preclinical efficacy and interest for clinical evaluation. A progress is appreciable in the study of analogues of existing agents and in the identification of new series of cytotoxic compounds with a mechanism of action somewhat similar to that of conventional cytotoxic drugs. Advances in knowledge of tumor cell biology and biochemistry offer the prospect of identifying new targets for a selective drug action. The value of this new drug discovery approach remains to be established.
Zunino
F
F
Division of Experimental Oncology B, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Capranico
G
G
Pratesi
G
G
Spinelli
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents