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Drug Discovery: Synthesizing an End to Cancer
What is Cancer and How Do We Treat It
Anti-Angiogenesis
A common factor with all forms of cancer is angiogenesis, or the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors. There are some foods capable of cutting off the blood supply to these tumors, and eating these foods will preemptive stop cancer, and prevent cancer.
With the trillions of cells in our bodies, there are bound to be cells with mistakes. Unfortunately, the one of the most common of these mistakes causes one of the most deadly diseases known to man; Cancer. For this reason, cancer treatments are created and improved upon every single day by some of the human race’s most intelligent.
Surgery
The oldest form of cancer treatment is surgical removal of cancer and the surrouding tissue. While in it's earliest form it was not combined with radiation therapy, and yielded almost no chance of cure, now surgery is the type of treatment which allows for the highest chance of a cure. Unfortunately, this option is often impossible when the cancer has become metastatic.
Types of Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy
Antimetabolites - Capable of substituting itself for normal DNA and RNA sequences to disprupt a cancer cell's growth
While it is effective to take a very direct approach when dealing with cancer, chemotherapy uses powerful drugs and chemicals to combat cancer.
Types of Chemotherapy Drugs
Alkylating Agents - This type of drug damages the DNA to prevent the cancer cells from reproducing.
Topoisomerase inhibitors - As made obvious by the name, this type of drug inhibits topoisomerase, which are enzymes that aid in the replication of DNA.
Anthracyclines - Anti-tumor drugs that disrupt enzymes invovled in DNA replication
Mitotic inhibitors - Can stop mitosis or inhibit enzymes.
Corticosteroids - These drugs don't necessarily kill cancer, however they are used in combination with chemotherapy to help prevent allergic reactions, nausea, and other adverse effects invovled with chemotherapy.
Radiation Therapy
The use of high energy or waves to destroy, half, or damage cancer cells. This is one of the most common types of cancer treatments, and is often used in conjunction with other types of treatments.
Targeted Therapy
It is extremely effective to be precise when dealing with any type of disease. For cancer treatment, that is why targeted therapy is used. This is a form of cancer treatment that involves highly targeted medicines that damage cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed.
Immunotherapy
The human immune system is possibly the most effective disease fighter. Immunotherapy involves using the body's immune system to fight cancer.
Stem Cell Transplant
As some cancers like leukemia progress, the bone marrow becomes damaged, this creates a need for a stem cell transplant. Often some forms of cancer treatment will damage the bone marrow, leading to the need of a stem cell transplant.
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