Category: Chemotherapeutic Agents

Anthelmintic drugs are used to eradicate or reduce the numbers of helminthic parasites in theintestinal tract or tissues of the body. Most anthelmintics are active against specific parasites;thus, parasites must be identified before treatment is started.Individual DrugsAlbendazoleAlbendazole, a broad-spectrum oral anthelmintic, is used for pinworm infection, ascariasis,trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and infections with both hookworm species. Albendazole…

Cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm or new growth. Cancer cells manifest uncontrolledproliferation, loss of function due to loss of capacity to differentiate, invasiveness, and the abilityto metastasize.Cancer arises as a result of genetic changes in the cell, the main genetic changes being;inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes.There are three approaches for…

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites; their replication depends primarily on syntheticprocesses of the host cell. Viral replication consists of several steps: (1) adsorption to andpenetration into susceptible host cells; (2) uncoating of viral nucleic acid; (3) synthesis of early,regulatory proteins, eg, nucleic acid polymerases; (4) synthesis of RNA/ DNA; (5) synthesis oflate, structural proteins; (6)…

Fungal infections have increased in incidence and severity in recent years, due to increased inthe use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and the HIV epidemic. The antifungal drugs fall intotwo groups: antifungal antibiotics and synthetic antifungals.Antifungal antibioticsAmphotericin BAmphotericin B is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Oral amphotericin B is thuseffective only on fungi within the lumen…

Mechanisms of antimicrobial drug action:

Chemotherapy: is the use of chemical agents (either synthetic or natural) to destroy infectiveagents (microorganisms’ i.e bacteria, fungus and viruses, protozoa, and helminthes) and toinhibit the growth of malignant or cancerous cells.Chemotherapeutic agents: are chemical which are intended to be toxic for parasitic cell but nontoxic to the host, such selective toxicity depends on the…