The bleomycins (BLMs) are well-known antineoplastic agents.
They are particularly useful in the treatment of squamous cell carcinomas and
malignant lymphomas.
The therapeutic effect of bleomycin analogues is believed to
result from their selective oxidative cleavage of DNA and possibly RNA. Much of
the site-specific cleavage is thought to be effected by the N-terminal
metal-binding domain, the C-terminal bithiazole region, and the linker domain.
The least understood structural domain of BLM is the disaccharide moiety.
Researchers at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State
University have discovered that the carbohydrate moiety of BLM, by itself, is
sufficient for tumor cell targeting. Numerous highly specific analogues of this
region have been produced and tested for tumor imaging and the development of
novel, targeted chemotherapeutics.
Potential Applications
- Reagents for tumor imaging
- Novel cancer chemotherapeutics
Benefits and Advantages
- Tumor cells can be specifically imaged and targeted for
chemotherapeutic destruction.
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For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr. Hecht's
departmental webpage
