| dc.description.abstract | This paper discusses the preclinical toxicology of some of the most commonly used
antimetabolite drugs in cancer therapies, from their history up to their current use. The classes
of antimetabolite drugs included in this discussion are purine antagonists, pyrimidine
antagonists, folic acid antagonists, thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitors, and
phosphoribosylglycinamide formyltransferase (GARFT) inhibitors. These classes of drugs
were designed to disrupt the synthesis of DNA, halt the cell cycle, and prevent the further
growth of tumours. Purine antagonists used in cancer therapy include mercaptopurine,
fludarabine, cladribine, clofarabine, nelarabine, and thioguanine. Their action is to compete
with their respective purine analogues for incorporation into DNA synthesis. | en_US |
