Each every chemotherapy agent has specific role depending upon the treatment and characteristics of the drug used. Most of them intervene with the DNA synthesis. Based on their features and treatment they are classified as alkylating agents, anti-metabolits, anthracyclines, antitumor antibiotics, monoclonal antibodies, platinums, or plant alkaloids.
Alkylating agents are the widely used drugs in the chemotherapy treatment. These drugs are effective through all phases of cell cycle. The alkylate agent acts directly on the DNA strands, breaks the strands and forms abnormal pairing, thus prevents the cell division taking place, and cells die off as a result of it.
Anti-metabolits are found to be useful in treating chronic problems and some cases of leukemia and for various tumors.
Anthracyclines drugs are obtained from natural resources. They work by producing free oxygen radicals which acts with the DNA strands and prevents the cell division.
Antitumor antibiotics are obtained from soil fungus streptomyces. It employs the free oxygen radicals for breaking the DNA strands and preventing cell division. Bleomycin is a commonly used antitumor antibiotic
Monoclonal antibodies, they are attach themselves with the tumor specific antigens and thus block the growth of the cell.
Platinums, they are also used to provide the DNA impairing and to stop the cell growth. But the setback is they can injure the kidneys as they are toxic.
Plant alkaloids, according to the name they are derived from plants. And they are used in cell specific cycles.
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