[Acetylenic enzyme inhibitors: their role in anticancer chemotherapy]

Suicide inhibitors of acetylenic structure can inactive many enzymes playing an important role in the cancer cell metabolism. This type of inhibitors presents a fantastic interest because of its original inhibition mode: it is the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme itself which make the inhibitor reactive. In this way, thymidylate synthetase, ornithine decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, aldehyde reductase are inhibit by acetylenic substrates. These very efficient compounds will allow to envisage a more selective chemotherapy of cancer.