Many pharmaceuticals used for tumor chemotherapy are DNA damaging agents. What is the rationale behind actively damaging DNA to address tumors? Most cancerous cells harbor mutations that increase genomic stability, making DNA damaging agents a necessity to induce cell death. Most cancerous cells are deficient in some aspect of DNA repair, making them more sensitive to the DNA damaging agent. Most cancerous cells have a shortage of nucleotides and thus do not have the necessary resources to repair the damaged DNA. Most cancerous cells exhibit a weakened cell membrane, allowing DNA damaging agents to more easily access the nucleus. Why do such treatments often have a greater effect on a tumor than on healthy tissue? Tumor cells tend to be stuck in the quiescent phase of the cell cycle. Tumor cells tend to be actively dividing. Tumor cells tend to be more prone to cell death. Tumor cells tend to be more differentiated.
Added by Raquel R.
Close
Step 1
This means that the DNA damage caused by the chemotherapy drugs is not repaired properly, leading to cell death. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Madhur L and 54 other Chemistry 101 educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
Many human cancers result when a normal gene mutates and leads to uncontrolled growth (a tumor). Genes that cause cancer when they mutate are called oncogenes. Chemotherapy is effective against many tumors because it targets rapidly dividing cells and kills them. Unfortunately, chemotherapy has many side effects, such as hair loss or nausea, because it also kills many of our normal cells that are rapidly dividing, such as those in the hair follicles or stomach lining.Many scientists and large pharmaceutical companies are excited about the prospects of exploiting the RNAi pathway to selectively inhibit oncogenes in lifethreatening tumors. Explain in very general terms how gene-silencing therapy might work to treat cancer and why this type of therapy would have fewer side effects than chemotherapy.
Madhur L.
Cancer often involves excessive and uncontrolled mitosis, resulting in a tumour. Some of the chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer therapy inhibit DNA replication. a) Propose and explain two specific steps in DNA replication that chemotherapy drugs can impact negatively. b) Side effects can occur when using chemotherapy drugs such as hair loss. If these drugs are used to attack cancer cells, what other effects can they have on the body at a cellular level. Note: Be sure to relate it to the content covered in this course directly
Jennifer S.
Cancer is a disease of enhanced proliferation and cell survival. DNA repair mechanisms are normally important for cell survival. When a cell senses DNA damage, the cell cycle is inhibited until the damage is fixed. Given the importance of DNA repair mechanisms, how can their failure lead to the production of cancer cells with a competitive advantage over normal cells?
Suman K.
Recommended Textbooks
Chemistry: Structure and Properties
Chemistry The Central Science
Chemistry
Transcript
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD