title: Chemical approaches to the discovery and development of cancer therapies.
abstract: The chemical sciences are essential for the process of anticancer-drug discovery, and a range of chemical research techniques is needed to develop clinically effective drugs. Improved understanding of the cellular, molecular and genetic basis of cancer has increased the number of drug targets available. What chemical approaches are used to develop agents that target specific features of cancer cells and make these therapeutics more effective? We outline the roles that chemical synthesis and understanding of drug uptake have had in drug discovery over the past 100 years, as well as the chemical insights derived from knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of targets.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK, Biomolecular Structure Group, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK. stephen.neidle@ulsop.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neidle
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Thurston
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002621:Chemistry / Q000379:methods*; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical; D003461:Crystallography; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents