Projects 2

Cisplatin (Cis-diaminedichloroplatinum)

Many chemotherapeutic drugs generate DNA damage that block DNA replication and, or, transcription. This results in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. However, cancer cells can avoid cell death by a number of mechanisms, whereby DNA repair is one of the most important.

Cisplatin, is used in chemo-therapy to treat e number of tumors. Chlorine anions interact with hydroxy groups (mostly at N7 of purines), forming different types of DNA lesions:

image cisplatin 3

Cisplatin induced DNA adducts block, or slow down, DNA replication and transcription, which corresponds to the “cisplatin induced toxicity”.

Diapositive4

Increased adducts removal is associated with cisplatin resistance, and enhanced removal of cis-platin DNA adducts is likely a main cause of acquired cell resistance. Conversely, cells deficient in DNA repair are sensitive to cisplatin.

(From Carlos Zeladon’s internship, 2011)