Abstract
The anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in chemotherapy due to its efficacy in fighting a wide range of cancers such as carcinomas, sarcomas and hematological cancers. Despite extensive clinical utilization, the mechanisms of action of DOX remain under intense debate. A growing body of evidence supports the view that this drug can be a double-edge sword. Indeed, injury to nontargeted tissues often complicates cancer treatment by limiting therapeutic dosages of DOX and diminishing the quality of patients life during and after DOX treatment. The literature shows that the heart is a preferential target of DOX toxicity. However, this anticancer drug also affects other organs like the brain, kidney and liver. This review is mainly devoted to discuss the mechanisms underlying not only DOX beneficial effects but also its toxic outcomes. Additionally, clinical studies focusing the therapeutic efficacy and side effects of DOX treatment will be discussed. Finally, some potential strategies to attenuate DOX-induced toxicity will be debated.
Keywords: Brain, doxorubicin, heart, kidney, liver, therapeutic effects, side effects
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Doxorubicin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Effect
Volume: 16 Issue: 25
Author(s): Cristina Carvalho, Renato X. Santos, Susana Cardoso, Sonia Correia, Paulo J. Oliveira, Maria S. Santos and Paula I. Moreira
Affiliation:
Keywords: Brain, doxorubicin, heart, kidney, liver, therapeutic effects, side effects
Abstract: The anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in chemotherapy due to its efficacy in fighting a wide range of cancers such as carcinomas, sarcomas and hematological cancers. Despite extensive clinical utilization, the mechanisms of action of DOX remain under intense debate. A growing body of evidence supports the view that this drug can be a double-edge sword. Indeed, injury to nontargeted tissues often complicates cancer treatment by limiting therapeutic dosages of DOX and diminishing the quality of patients life during and after DOX treatment. The literature shows that the heart is a preferential target of DOX toxicity. However, this anticancer drug also affects other organs like the brain, kidney and liver. This review is mainly devoted to discuss the mechanisms underlying not only DOX beneficial effects but also its toxic outcomes. Additionally, clinical studies focusing the therapeutic efficacy and side effects of DOX treatment will be discussed. Finally, some potential strategies to attenuate DOX-induced toxicity will be debated.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Carvalho Cristina, Santos X. Renato, Cardoso Susana, Correia Sonia, Oliveira J. Paulo, Santos S. Maria and Moreira I. Paula, Doxorubicin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Effect, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2009; 16 (25) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986709788803312
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986709788803312 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Involvement of MAPK Signalling in Human Villous Trophoblast Differentiation
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Promoters and Control Elements: Designing Expression Cassettes for Gene Therapy
Current Gene Therapy Low-Dose Methotrexate (LD-MTX) in Rheumatology Practice - A Most Widely Misunderstood Drug
Current Rheumatology Reviews Approaches for Developing Novel Microtubule Targeting Agents (MTAs) for Therapeutic Exploitation
Current Pharmaceutical Design Chemistry of Tumour Targeted T1 Based MRI Contrast Agents
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry The Herpesvirus Encoded dUTPase as a Potential Chemotherapeutic Target
Current Protein & Peptide Science Therapeutic Targets for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Current Drug Targets Scaffold Vascularization: A Challenge for Three-Dimensional Tissue Engineering
Current Medicinal Chemistry Anti-cancer Peptides from Ras-P21 and P53 Proteins
Current Pharmaceutical Design Development of Anti-Atherosclerosis Therapy Based on the Inflammatory and Proliferative Aspects of the Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Antibody Fragments as Potential Biopharmaceuticals for Cancer Therapy: Success and Limitations
Current Medicinal Chemistry NFAT Gene Family in Inflammation and Cancer
Current Molecular Medicine Drug Targeting Approaches and Use of Drug Delivery Systems in Management of Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Lipid Membrane; A Novel Target for Viral and Bacterial Pathogens
Current Drug Targets Heart Disease in Patients with HIV/AIDS-An Emerging Clinical Problem
Current Cardiology Reviews Individualized Treatment Planning in Oncology: Role of PET and Radiolabelled Anticancer Drugs in Predicting Tumour Resistance
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Redox Regulation of Thiol Dependent Signaling Pathways in Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Neurotrophic Factor Treatment After Spinal Root Avulsion Injury
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry MicroRNA-34 Family, Mechanisms of Action in Cancer: A Review
Current Cancer Drug Targets 9-Hydroxyellipticine and Derivatives as Chemotherapy Agents
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry