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Updated: May 24, 2026

A Simple, Rapid, and Quantitative Assay to Measure Repair of DNA-protein Crosslinks on Plasmids Transfected into Mammalian Cells
Published on: March 5, 2018
DNA interstrand cross-linking agents and their chemotherapeutic potential
L Brulikova1, J Hlavac, P Hradil
1Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
DNA interstrand cross-linking (ICL) agents are an important group of cytotoxic drugs with the capability of binding covalently between two strands of DNA, thereby preventing vital processes such as replication or transcription in dividing cells. In anticancer therapy however, their potential is limited due to the resistance by various mechanisms. In order to develop highly effective antitumor drugs it is necessary to study both effective ICL formations and their subsequent repair mechanisms. This review presents an overview of development over the past decade and the use of both well-known and new DNA interstrand cross-linking agents. Their potential in applications especially as anticancer chemotherapeutics in the framework of current knowledge of repair mechanisms and development of combined chemotherapy is discussed.
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