Antineoplastics (or "antitumor antibiotics", or "noncovalent DNA-binding drugs", or "cytotoxic antibiotics") are drugs that inhibit and combat the development of tumors.

In the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System, they are classified under L01D.

Modes of action

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There are many differing antitumour antibiotics, but generally they prevent cell division by several ways:

• (1) binding to DNA through intercalation between two adjacent nucleotide bases and making it unable to separate.

• (2) inhibiting ribonucleic acid (RNA), preventing enzyme synthesis.

• (3) interfering with cell replication.

They are products of various strains of the soil fungus Streptomyces.

Examples

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• actinomycin ().
  • The most important immunosuppressant from this group is dactinomycin, which is used to in kidney transplantations.
• anthracyclines
  • doxorubicin ()
  • daunorubicin ()
  • epirubicin (), which also inhibit topoisomerase II)
• other cytotoxic antibiotics
  • bleomycin (). Bleomycin acts in unique way through oxidation of a DNA-bleomycin-Fe(II) complex and forming free radicals, which induce damage and chromosomal aberrations.
  • plicamycin ()
  • mitomycin ()

External links

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• University of Nebraska
• Formulary by category
• Generics

Chemotherapeutic agents