Nucleosides as anticancer agents: from concept to the clinic

John A Secrist1

  • 1Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Insights

Nucleosides are vital anticancer agents, with clofarabine newly approved and 4'-thio-ara-C in clinical trials. Research continues to explore novel nucleoside-based strategies for cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Nucleoside analogs have a long history in cancer chemotherapy.
  • The development of novel nucleoside-based anticancer drugs remains an active area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the ongoing application of nucleosides as anticancer agents.
  • To highlight recent advancements and future directions in nucleoside-based cancer drug discovery.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on nucleoside anticancer agents.
  • Discussion of specific examples like clofarabine and 4 ahydro-thio-cytidine (4 ahydro-thio-ara-C).

Main Results:

  • Clofarabine represents a newly approved nucleoside analog for cancer treatment.
  • 4 ahydro-thio-cytidine (4 ahydro-thio-ara-C) is advancing through clinical trials, demonstrating continued progress in the field.

Conclusions:

  • Nucleosides continue to be a significant class of anticancer drugs.
  • Emerging nucleoside analogs and novel drug discovery approaches promise future advancements in cancer therapy.

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