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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Genome-wide Mapping of Drug-DNA Interactions in Cells with COSMIC (Crosslinking of Small Molecules to Isolate Chromatin)
10:05

Genome-wide Mapping of Drug-DNA Interactions in Cells with COSMIC (Crosslinking of Small Molecules to Isolate Chromatin)

Published on: January 20, 2016

New hopes from old drugs: revisiting DNA-binding small molecules as anticancer agents

Katerina Gurova1

  • 1Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. katerina.gurova@roswellpark.org

Future Oncology (London, England)
|December 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

New anticancer drugs could target DNA without causing damage, potentially reducing side effects and secondary cancers. Quinacrine, an antimalarial, shows promise by modulating cell pathways for tumor cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Current chemotherapy predominantly uses DNA-damaging agents for cancer treatment.
  • While effective, DNA-damaging agents cause significant side effects and secondary cancer risks due to genotoxicity.
  • There is a need for novel anticancer strategies with improved safety profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of DNA-targeting agents that do not induce DNA damage for cancer therapy.
  • To evaluate if such agents can be as effective as DNA-damaging drugs in eliminating tumor cells.
  • To highlight quinacrine as a model compound for this novel therapeutic approach.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on DNA-targeting anticancer agents.
  • Analysis of research data on the antimalarial drug quinacrine.
  • Examination of quinacrine's interaction with DNA and its effects on cellular pathways relevant to tumor survival.

Main Results:

  • Agents targeting DNA without causing damage offer a potential alternative to genotoxic chemotherapy.
  • Quinacrine demonstrates DNA binding without inducing damage.
  • Quinacrine modulates cellular pathways crucial for tumor cell survival, suggesting anticancer potential.

Conclusions:

  • Non-DNA-damaging, DNA-targeting agents represent a promising avenue for cancer treatment.
  • Quinacrine serves as a viable example, showcasing the therapeutic potential of such compounds.
  • This approach may overcome the limitations associated with traditional genotoxic chemotherapies.

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