New antileukemic agents

Related Experiment Videos

Elpis Mantadakis1, Maria Kalmanti

  • 1Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
|March 15, 2003
PubMed

Insights

New antileukemic agents are needed for childhood leukemia subgroups with poor prognosis. This review covers novel compounds and their clinical development concepts, crucial for pediatric hematologists/oncologists.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Childhood leukemias have seen treatment advances, but some patient groups still face poor outcomes.
  • There is a critical need for novel therapeutic strategies and antileukemic agents in pediatric oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical trial results of emerging antileukemic compounds.
  • To discuss the clinical development concepts of new agents for pediatric hematologists/oncologists.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical trials involving new antileukemic compounds.
  • Analysis of compounds with diverse mechanisms of action, including signal transduction inhibitors, nucleoside analogs, DNA hypomethylators, angiogenesis inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies.

Main Results:

  • Several new antileukemic compounds targeting different pathways have shown promise in clinical trials.
  • While not all compounds are currently used in pediatric leukemias, their development principles are relevant.

Conclusions:

  • The development of novel antileukemic agents is essential for improving outcomes in pediatric leukemia subgroups with poor prognosis.
  • Understanding the clinical development of these new agents is vital for advancing pediatric hematology/oncology practice.

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors01:22

Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists01:29

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists

Dopamine receptor antagonists, also known as antipsychotic agents, are critical in managing chemotherapy-induced vomiting. These antiemetic agents block dopamine receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ), inhibiting signal transmission to the vomiting center. Antipsychotic agents encompass phenothiazines (PTZ), butyrophenones, benzamides, and thienobenzodiazepines (Zyprexa), which are utilized for their antiemetic and sedative properties.
Phenothiazines, such as prochlorperazine...
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists01:28

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists

Neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors are distributed across the GI tract, vagal afferents, and key CNS regions including the central vomiting center and chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) Chemotherapy agents stimulate enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to release large amounts of substance P (SP). SP is a neuropeptide released by specific sensory nerves in response to many different stressors, including those in the GI mucosa affected by chemotherapy.  SP binds and activates these...