Abstract
Bleomycin is a small glycopeptide antibiotic used for treating specific types of cancers. The antitumor effect of bleomycin is due to its ability to bind to DNA and induce the formation of a variety of toxic DNA lesions via a free radical reactive complex. However, the chemotherapeutic potential of bleomycin is limited, as it causes pulmonary fibrosis and tumor resistance at high doses associated with membrane and DNA damage, respectively. Bleomycin has been extensively studied and the details of its chemical structure and modes of action are known, which provide a foundation towards improving its therapeutic value, as well as that of other model anticancer drugs. This chapter provides an overview of the structure of bleomycin and its deleterious effect on various cellular targets. In addition, several factors that could limit the genotoxicity of bleomycin are highlighted, although the most important of these involves a transporter that mediates uptake of bleomycin into the cells and DNA repair mechanisms. Thus, defects in this transporter would allow cancerous cells to evade the antitumor effects of bleomycin.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Advances in DNA Repair in Cancer Therapy |
Publisher | Springer New York |
Pages | 187-209 |
Number of pages | 23 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781461447412 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781461447405 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |