Differentiating agents and nontoxic therapies.
The discovery of the oncogene and the mechanism by which these genetic changes create malignant transformation has provided new opportunities for drug development. Suramin is the first drug shown to exert its anticancer activity by blocking autocrine loops involved in malignant transformation. Phenylacetate and related aromatic fatty acids are potent inducers of differentiation in normal and malignant cells. Arachidonate, a fatty acid, plays a role in prostate cancer survival, growth, invasiveness, and immunosuppression. The actions of arachidonic acid can be moderated by diet or blocked by pharmacologic agents. Other agents that promise low toxicity include vitamin D and its analogs, genistein and related isoflavones, green tea polyphonols, and retinoic acid analogs.
Myers
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Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, USA.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010654:Phenylbutyrates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013498:Suramin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010648:Phenylacetates; D010654:Phenylbutyrates; D013498:Suramin; C025136:phenylacetic acid