Cytotoxic drug

Cytotoxic drugs are a category of pharmaceuticals that are specifically designed to kill or inhibit the growth of cells that are growing, dividing, or changing in an abnormal way. They are most commonly used in the treatment of cancer, where they can be used to kill cancer cells or to stop them from growing and dividing.

Mechanism of Action

Cytotoxic drugs work by disrupting the cell cycle, the process by which cells grow and divide. They do this by interfering with the DNA in the cells, preventing them from replicating and causing them to die. Some cytotoxic drugs also affect the cell's mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy, causing the cell to die.

Types of Cytotoxic Drugs

There are many different types of cytotoxic drugs, including alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antitumor antibiotics, topoisomerase inhibitors, and mitotic inhibitors. Each of these types of drugs works in a slightly different way to kill or inhibit the growth of cells.

Alkylating Agents

Alkylating agents work by attaching an alkyl group to the DNA of a cell, which prevents the DNA from properly replicating. This causes the cell to die.

Antimetabolites

Antimetabolites work by mimicking the substances that a cell needs to grow and divide. When the cell tries to use these fake substances, it is unable to properly complete the cell cycle and dies.

Antitumor Antibiotics

Antitumor antibiotics work by binding to the DNA in a cell and preventing it from replicating. This causes the cell to die.

Topoisomerase Inhibitors

Topoisomerase inhibitors work by interfering with the enzymes that help DNA to unwind and replicate. This prevents the cell from properly completing the cell cycle and causes it to die.

Mitotic Inhibitors

Mitotic inhibitors work by preventing the cell from properly forming the structures it needs to divide. This causes the cell to die.

Side Effects

Like all drugs, cytotoxic drugs can have side effects. These can include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue. In some cases, cytotoxic drugs can also cause more serious side effects, such as infection, anemia, and neutropenia.

See Also

• Chemotherapy
• Cancer treatment
• Pharmacology

Cytotoxic drug Resources
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