title: Nitroimidazoles as anti-tumor agents.
abstract: At present cancer treatment is still a confusing problem. Great progress has been made in anti-tumor agents since a series of small molecules are approved by FDA as anti-tumor drugs. Nitroimidazoles is a kind of radiosensitizer with multiple bioactivities used in cancer treatment since 1950s. In this review, we focus on the development of nitroimidazoles as radiosensitizer, bio-reductive prodrug and other types of anti-tumor agents for cancer therapy, and the mechanism of acting as anti-tumor agents. Finally, we also discuss the prospect and developmental trend of nitroimidazoles as anti-tumor agents.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hai-Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001711:Biotransformation; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D011355:Prodrugs; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D010100:Oxygen