title: Problems in the design of anticancer agents.
abstract: Theoretically, two predominant paths for obtaining more selective anticancer agents may be envisaged. These are: (a) to make compounds which distribute only or preferentially in cancer cells; (b) to make compounds that are able selectively to kill or to differentiate cancer cells. Although in the last two decades research into new anticancer drugs has not produced satisfactory results, there is solid ground on which novel strategies can be developed, mainly based on a much greater biological knowledge of human tumours. This article does not review all the possible approaches that may be followed, but simply discusses some ideas and problems mainly taken from the current research of our laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Incalci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balconi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Broggini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marzola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morali
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spinelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015195:Drug Design; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents